Meet AC Contributor Anita Cameron

Occasionally I get the opportunity to highlight fellow AC Contributors. Recently, Anita Cameron granted me an interview. She joined Associated Content on December 3, 2009. So far she has written mainly on community and disability issues, which reflect her role as a disability activist. My favorite articles of Anita's are "Community Living Should be a Choice for All" and "Independent Living Centers Help People With Disabilities". I think when combined, those two pieces convey a message worth listening to. Read on to learn more about Anita and don't forget to check out her work on AC afterward.

How did you learn about AC?
I learned about AC through one of the local career centers here in Rochester. I've been out of work due to illness for almost two months. I wanted to look into working from home, or at the very least, making some money on the side when I returned to work. The person who interviewed me told me about AC when he learned that I like to write.

Why have you decided to begin writing here?
I lurked the forums for two weeks before I decided to start writing here. At first, I was very intimidated, but I saw that people were very helpful and supportive, so I decided to take the plunge, so to speak.

Many of your articles are on the topic of fair and proper treatment for people with disabilities. In describing yourself as a disability rights activist, what does this entail?
Being a disability rights activist entails going beyond the usual advocacy methods such as writing letters, making phone calls, or attending meetings. Of course they are important, but the activist takes the further step of employing direct action, meaning protests, vigils and non-violent civil disobedience. This doesn't necessarily result in arrests, but it can.

For how long have you been an activist?
I've been a social justice activist for 28 years, but I've focused on disability rights activism for 23 years.

What are some of the challenges faced and some of the accomplishments gained?
For me, personally? Not being taken seriously, or looked down upon because I'm a person with disabilities. Discrimination, especially in the workplace. Lack of physical access to public places despite the Americans with Disabilities Act.

My accomplishments include being the only one of my siblings to attend and graduate from college, helping to write a piece of legislation that is before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, being invited to the White House twice, helping to organize a march from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, and organizing a two-week vigil in Colorado that resulted in the repeal of massive budget cuts to home health care.

Before joining AC, did you write articles and columns as a form of your activism?
Yes. I wrote for Incitement, a national disability rights newsletter. One of those articles was published in a book called "Voices of a People's History of the United States", by Howard Zinn, and Anthony Arnove. I also was a guest columnist for the Greeley (Colorado) Tribune.

Do you think writing for AC will benefit your causes and vice versa? Explain.
I believe that there will be a mutual benefit. AC Contributors and others will learn about disability issues from the perspective of an activist motivated by passion, love, and pride in her community. Disability pride is a radical thing to most people because they expect people with disabilities to want to overcome their conditions and be "normal" or search for a cure. I'm positive that much of what I have to say will blow people's minds, cause them to think, and perhaps, open a dialogue.

That will lead to a better understanding of us and our issues. Who knows? Someone might want to get involved, make a contribution, or pass the information on to someone who needs it. Of course, as I earn more money, I'll use it to further my activism by sponsoring training for youth with disabilities, or getting a new activist to one of our actions.

What advice would you give someone looking to have a more active role in supporting a cause?
Look for a group in your area and contact them. Follow their guidance on how you can be more active in your support. If there is no chapter near you, contact the national office and see how you can help. If possible, consider starting a group in your area.

What are some of your future goals both with AC and with disability activism?
My goals for AC include becoming a better, and more prolific writer, convincing AC to add a Disability category, and eventually becoming a Featured Contributor for that category.

I am already a national leader in ADAPT, the disability rights organization that I'm a member of. I'd like to mentor ADAPT youth, and help start more ADAPT chapters. I would also like to finish my book on our march from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, and get my guide on planning protests and vigils published.

Is there anything else you'd like to say?
I like it here at AC. The Community Guides are very supportive, and people are generally kind. There's lots of great information here, and I'm soaking it in. I'm new, and things are going slow, but that's to be expected. Look for me to be a fixture around here. I may not say much, but my presence will be felt.

Source:

Internet Interview with Anita Cameron on January 5, 2010

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/691438/anita_cameron.html