SLIDE 1: 2024 Annual Conference on Independent Living BACK TO THE FUTURE Presented by the National Council on Independent Living Alt text: Conference Logo: Black sans serif text says, “BACK TO THE FUTURE”. To the right, digital font in bright, bold orange says, “2024”. Underneath, [NCIL Logo: National Council on Independent Living] Annual Conference on Independent Living. SLIDE 2: Engaging the Youth to Unleash the Power of Storytelling in Self-Advocacy Date:7/22/2024 Monday, July 22 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM   Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie (Ph.D.) Alt text: at the bottom corners of all following slides, there is the VCIL (Vermont Center for Independent Living) logo and the conference logo. SLIDE 3: Introduction Introduction & Icebreaker Discussing the stone in Schools & Communities Decoding the Lion Proverb Ubuntu/ UDL, and other Frameworks Importance of Self-Advocacy Sharing our stories Final Tips & Takeaways Questions SLIDE 4: Do you believe in this? A stone with an inscription: Behind every person is a story that gave Them no choice. Alt text: an image of a stone with the words "behind every strong person is a story that gave them no choice". SLIDE 5: What does this mean to you? Alt text: a quote "until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter." - african proverb SLIDE 6: The Power of Story Telling What Strategies or practices have you found most effective in promoting self care? How important is Self- Advocacy in story telling? How can storytelling be used as an effective advocacy tool to promote the rights and inclusion of children with disabilities SLIDE 7: The Power of Self-Advocacy It helps you hold your community leaders & policy makers accountable It gives you self- awareness & Resilience skills It builds you to accept and own your disability to develop Disability Pride It empowers you to know your rights and the laws very well It gives one confidence to ask for the tools you need to be successful in the real world. SLIDE 8: Ubuntu Framework The Power of Africa Proverb Group Work with Ubuntu sign in Yellow circle. Alt text: Ubuntu Logo SLIDE 9: My Story A book cover, with the title: I’M ABLE: A Woman’s Advice to Disability Change Agents: Alt text: A book cover with the title: I'm Able: A woman's advice to disability change agents. SLIDE 10: Universal Design for Learning Alt text: A diagram of a learning process SLIDE 11: Working with the Hope Tree Reflect on what you might include in a personal pledge to create and promote self-advocacy and story telling in your personal or professional life/setting. Alt text: a green plant. SLIDE 12: Final Tips and Takeaways What is your takeaway from this discussion? Any hope? Alt text: a green plant SLIDE 13: Contact Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie (Ph.D.) sefakor@vcil.org Tel: 802-224-1806 or 802-557-8040 SLIDE 14: Questions? Alt text: yellow and blue symbols SLIDE 15: Reference King, R. U., Kamuzinzi, M., & Gasibirige, S. (2022). Healing life wounds: Restoring communities after mass violence. Tyndale Academic Press, Canada. Levey, S. (2023). Universal design for learning. Journal of Education, 203(2), 479-487. McCoy, R. T., Joseph, R., & Bongar, B. (2023). Americans with Disabilities Act. In Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence (pp. 1-15). Cham: Springer International Publishing.