Item 2G: Interim Appointment to Human Rights Commission

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Fluent in language(s) other than English? 0 Yes O~No If yes, please list 1. What experience, training, andlorqualifications do you have for this particular board or commission? As a person 'who has lived with a disability since birth. I know from .personal experience what it is like to deal with discrimination and stereotyping. Befor.ecoming to Eugene, I was an active member of my state's chapter of the american council of the Blind, an advocacy organization which works to. promote equal rights for the blind and is also active in the cross-disability rights movement. I was a member of the MTA Citizens council for Accessible Transportation in baltimore, and I was also quite active at my place of employment on issues relating to accessibility and job discrimination. Since coming to Eugene. I have participated as a community member on the L TO accessible transportation committee and have been, for the past 2 years~ a member of the Human rights '; Commission's accessibility committee, where I was very involved with the successful effort to obtain community block grantand city.funding for accessible pedestrian signals. I have also been a part of the human rights support system of the HRC. While my life circumstances have shaped my pri~ary human rights focus on disability access; I am. aware, through observation and knowledge of friends' experiences, of the many other groups who are facing their own struggles for recognition and equality in society. I believe the Commission could benefit from my knowledge and experience as a disabl~dperson and advocate,and.1 am confident that participation in the Commission's work would also.be a learning and growth experience' for rne. 2. What specific contribution do you hope to make to the board or commission? Why do you wantto become a member? As noted in my answer to.questio~ 1,a .major focus for me has been on the rights of t~e disabled. I would . hope, in the context of the manyissl.ies the Commission deals with, to ri1a~e ac~essibility concerns a' part of those issues, because disability does not distinguish among 'gender, class, sexual orientation or racial/ethnic grou~s. I am also interested hi gah,ing' a deeper.understci'ndirig :of the issues others'live with, arid I wduldUke to help where I can. I want to both 'educate and learn from. others. And I .Iook forward to collaborating with others to raise awareness thafhuman rights are. not a O~sum game. NOTE: To . allow .a large number of citizens to serve on boards and commissions, the City Council policy allows individuals to serve on only one standing board or commission at a time. A current member' of a board/commission who is a successful.applicant for another board/commission ~ill be required to choose between the two appointments. This policy does not apply to ad hoc committees or departmental committees orpositions .that are designatedf~r members of specific advisory group (e.g. the Human Rights Commission member assigned to the Police Commission). 'Information submitted on this 8:pplication is public information. . The information provided herein is true and complete. A false or misleading statement maybe cause for elimination from .consideration. . ~(c+ SignatUre of Applicant . . Date Return completed applications to: Human Rights Center 833 Willa~ette Street .Eugene, OR 97401 541-682-5177 541-682-5221 (Fax) (Applications may. be faxed) C:\DOCS\hrc-application.doc