Getting to Know You
- Your name:Â Brandy Dickerson
- What’s your connection with disability? I was born with Cerebral Palsy.
- Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Wars
- If you could live in any other country for 2 years, where would you go? New Zealand
- What dish would your bring to our community picnic potluck? Veggie Tray
Now That We’ve Been Introduced…
- What do you do: I work full time for Easterseals Crossroads as a Retention Specialist. I help individuals with disabilities maintain employment.
Easterseals Crossroads has been around for over 80 years, serving more than 7,000 consumers each year, providing numerous services to individuals with disabilities.
- Â How did you come to doing what you do? How has your career trajectory flowed?
Easterseals Crossroads through Vocational Rehabilitation assisted me in finding employment over ten years ago, with an Independent Living Center that helps individuals with disabilities achieve independence. During this time, I was encouraged to apply for and was accepted into the Partners in Policymaking academy for the Governor’s Council for People with Disability and graduated in 2009.  This training helped me to lead the Indianapolis Back Home Indiana Alliance. This also helped me to conduct presentation and disability education awareness workshops and outreach for inclusion.
The month of March is National Disability Awareness month. The Governor’s Council for Disability produced a video to promote inclusion and equality for individuals with disabilities. I was excited to be invited to participate in making the video as well as appearing on radio and tv talking about the program and my experiences. They have a lot of information and resources on their website at indianadisabilityawareness.org or social media #Becoolweare.
- Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years? I would like to see myself eating healthier and exercising more.
- Not to be morbid, but what do you want people to remember about you when you’ve gone? I want people to remember that I loved God, family and friends. I also never gave up and helped change people’s perception of disabilities.
- Who or what inspires you? What inspires me is when an individual achieves a goal that society believes is impossible.
About Disability
- If you could say something to yourself in the past – that is, the you that was really struggling with something related to disability – what would you say? When peers verbally bully you realize that person bullying you has low self-esteem and may have been bullied themselves. No matter what don’t give up and keep being you.
- What do you like about your particular disability? Cerebral Palsy has opened my eyes to people’s true nature. It has helped me to understand that it is alright to be different.
- Any one thing that you wish people would *get* about disability?
While we may have differences, we also share similar dreams and aspiration such as friendship, acceptance, love and many other things.
- What single piece of technology makes your life easier?
Smart Phone
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smiling woman with blonde hair and wearing purple shirt Where else can we find you online? Facebook
Meriah Nichols is a counselor. Solo mom to 3 (one with Down syndrome, one on the spectrum). Deaf, and neurodiverse herself, she’s a gardening nerd who loves cats, Star Trek, and takes her coffee hot and black.
A good disability piece to read for any body anywhere. For me a disabled living in the developing world, it is full of reality on what I am doing down on the ground for a living and an encouragement not to tread back.