Written By: Riley Hurt
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the 2023 Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) conference in Anaheim, California. I was reminded of how crucial a youth presence is at events like the APRIL conference.
The disability rights and independent living movement exist because of youth and they will be carried on by the youth of today. Similar to other eras of American history, many social justice issues are fighting for the spotlight right now. Disability rights and independent living have always been a platform for cross-issue communication, and leveraging that power to bring up youth leaders is an opportunity worth investing in.
Why youth inclusion is important, the 2023 APRIL conference was my first in-person APRIL event. I was a mentor with Lead On, a step-two youth leadership program. I was amazed by each participant, and their progress through the program. I was honored to represent the program in the presence of many other leaders from local, state, and federal independent living organizations, who have the resources to further the mission of the Lead On program.
To me, the conference weekend was not only about celebrating the participants as they completed the program, it was an opportunity to showcase what can happen when the disability advocacy community dedicates space for youth. The thing about youth programming Youth programming is open-ended.
As a young leader, I look for programming that allows me to build my professional or personal skills. A program doesn’t have to have a strict curriculum or timeline, I have found that fluidity and flexibility create the best learning environments. Utilizing other important causes like climate change and civil rights can create interest, as most people are part of more than one cause or identity. Networking is hard Networking is a unique process that no one can ever “perfect”, as there is always room for improvement. Likewise, it is hard to learn how to network if you aren’t learning and doing at the same time.
The frustrating thing about networking as a young person is most “youth-centered” events don’t consider time for mingling or networking. This prevents youth from practicing networking. Additionally, it prevents them from connecting with other youth and creating partnerships and professional relationships. Opportunities for all In my experience, the best mindset a young person can have is collaboration.
Too often, youth are compared to each other by more experienced professionals in their field. Whether it’s for a job, an opportunity, or an invitation to an event, young people have had to compete. In a movement like disability rights, competition is damaging. Same with any marginalized community. Youth need a space to connect, share, and rise genuinely and originally (without pressure from others.)