IL Imagines Chicago's #SAAM2016 Awareness vi ART and PICTURES.

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month #SAAM2016, we organized activities that opened opportunities for people to create messages of support through art and pictures.

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Using Our VOICES for ART
The IL Imagines Chicago organized a creative arts event hosted by our partner Access Living.   13 attendees including, self advocates, survivors, disability and rape crisis staff and allies, all shared their creative energies to make a beautiful collective art piece covered with empowering words, images and messages of support for survivors of sexual violence on their healing journey.

Our intention is to display this art piece whenever possible at various community events.  Follow us on our socials to hear when you can see the art in person.:)

Thank you to our organizing team;
Anacany Barrera; Metro YWCA and Team Co-Chair
Carrie Kaufmann; Access Living
Jae Jin Pak; Self Advocate and Team Co-Chair
Julie Parikh; Metro YWCA Intern
Lisa Cesal; Self Advocate/Author
Lubia Nuñez-Montelongo; Mujeras Latinas en Acion

Tara Wickey; Self Advocacy Alliance

A very SPECIAL THANK YOU to all the wonderful artists who made this possible.

 

#OURRIHTSRIGHTRNOW Photo Campaign

We launched the #ourrightsrightnow photo campaign to show support for survivors of sexual violence with disabilities by asking people to take pictures of themselves holding signs with a message of support.   See our "2016 our rights right now" blog post for full details.

We have a good start, but as #SAAM2016 winds down, we want to keep the momentum.  Please keep sending us your selfies with messages of hope, healing and support by using either template below.

Blank template to make your own message.

Here are some messages so far.  See more by following our instagram @ilimagineschicago

Sign Text: "our rights are non-negociable!!"

Sign text: "Our rights... I support #survivors with #disabilities #right to be seen, heard, believed and RESPECTED."

Sign text: "Our rights... SAFETY is a RIGHT."

Sign text: "Our rights... to CHOICE and OPTIONS."

Sign text: "Our rights... I support better access to police support."

Sign text: "Our rights... Should be Respected, Protected: Never Dejected! Disability is Credibility!"

Sign text: "Our rights... #Respect4allabilities"

Sign text: "Our rights... Survivors can #fight, Survivors can #love, Survivors can #heal"

Sign text: "Our rights... #Freedom from Abuse"

Sign text: "Our rights... to be BELIEVED   to be HEARD"

Sign text: "Our rights... 83% of disabled women are assaulted.  100% of us deserve to be heard, believed, and respected."

Sign text: "Our rights... to be heard--- to access services.  to be believed."

The Art Of Honesty And Communication by Lisa Cesal, Self Advocate and Author

The Art of Honesty and Communication

By: Lisa Cesal, Author & Self Advocate

I am a person with a disability who has been in several different kind of relationships.  Ninety percent of the time relationships break down because of two reasons. These would be communication and honesty.    

When two people have a conversation between male and females they can interpret things differently.  It's even harder when you are dealing with people with disabilities.  The reason for this is that some are socially awkward when dealing with their feelings and emotions. This is due to most people with disabilities having limited experience in social settings and relationships. 

In my experience it's very difficult for me to communicate feelings that I would like to because I do not want to hurt any one's feelings.  This can cause confusion about the status of what type of relationship I am in.  This has happened to me recently as I lost a close friend due to miscommunication and not being open and honest and telling the other person how I really felt.  

This all happened because I was assumed the person I was hanging out with thought we were just friends but he thought we were dating.  Once he found that he was in the "friend zone" he took it very hard and basically stopped speaking to me.  This could have been easily avoided if one of us would have just simply clarified the situation.  In retrospect I should handled it differently.  I should have made it clear that we were friends and always   would be without a chance of becoming more.  But I failed to do that because I did not want to hurt his feelings and did not communicate properly and I gave him mixed signals.  

So, in the future I will try and learn from this and help others not to make the same mistakes I did as being open and honest is the best policy. 

By Lisa Cesal 
Author, Self Advocate, IL Imagines Chicago Team Member
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Check out Lisa's book co-authored with Chris Lenart titled: They Said We Couldn't

Check out Lisa's and Chris's Youtube Channel where they post 2 videos a week rasing disability awareness and how people with disabilities positively contribute to society.

Team Member Spotlight: LInda Sandman

IL Imagines Team Member Spotlight

Linda Sandman

Team member name: 

Linda Sandman

Position:  

Director of Clinical Services, Clinical Assistant Professor

Agency/Program: 

UIC Developmental Disabilities Family Clinics

Member since: 2012

Member Bio:  

Linda Sandman is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Linda has over 25 years of clinical experience working with adults with disabilities, including mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD). She is the Director of Clinical Services for the Developmental Disabilities Family Clinics, which provides comprehensive diagnostic and clinical services for children through adults with ID/DD. In addition, Linda is a founding member of the Sexuality and Disability Consortium at IDHD and is an active member of Illinois Imagines Chicago, as well as the state-wide Planning Team and Public Policy committee for Illinois Imagines.

Quote:  

“Why go chasing distant fancies? The good is ever near! Learn to grasp your chances! Happiness is always here.” – Goethe

Why I joined IL Imagines. 

As a therapist at the UIC Family Clinics, I met many people with developmental disabilities who had experienced sexual violence and I began working to address this issue. I was so excited to find out about Illinois Imagines. I love the collaboration – bringing together people with disabilities, disability service providers, allies and rape crisis center professionals. It is making change happen!

Fun Fact:  

I love to make jewelry, especially earrings. It’s fun, wearable art!