12. Educational Equity & Civil Rights with Andy Imparato

Andy Imparato's Bio In this episode, Diana chats with Andy Imparato, Executive Director of Disability Rights California, about educational equity and civil rights. During this robust conversation, Andy reflects the lesson he's learned that civil rights laws do not enforce themselves, and that parents and guardians are put in the position to be "private attorney generals" when educated about their children's rights. He advocates for teacher training for equitable, modern classrooms. He also asks administrators to operate from the core values that brought them into education in the first place. He encourages disabled students seek out people who view their disability as normal, and as an asset. Andy passionately shares the belief that "inequality is not inevitable" and with some imagination, coordination, and commitment, everyone in our communities can thrive.   Links Mentioned Disability Rights California Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary, Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education Taryn Williams, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."