Disability Awareness and Inclusion with Diana Pastora Carson [IEP 180]

Today’s guest is Diana Pastora Carson, a self-described sibling advocate and a big fan of her brother, Joaquin, who spent 15 years of his life in an institution. Joaquin’s family fought for three years to bring him home, and he fully supports and endorses the way Diana shares their family story. Diana has been an elementary educator for over 30 years in both general and special education. A lecturer for a Disability and Society course through San Diego State University, Diana also teaches other disability and inclusion courses through SDSU and a local community college. She’s a public speaker, inclusion visionary, and community activist who has also done a TEDtalk. With two terms on the board of Disability Rights California, she currently serves on the board of directors for Disability Voices United. Last year, she helped produce a series for Ability magazine in which she interviewed 50 experts and activists in the field of disability. Diana is the author of Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability Into Diversity Work in K-12 Schools & Communities and the children’s book, Ed Roberts: CHAMPION of Disability Rights. In addition to starting her own podcast soon, Diana’s upcoming endeavors include launching an online course about disability awareness through a social justice lens.Join us for a closer look at disability awareness and how inclusion in the classroom can benefit every student.Show Highlights: How inclusivity in education has changed--and what it means todayA specific example of how Diana used a Marc Anthony song to help a non-speaking student engage with his classmates and the curriculum in her classroomWhy a general education setting is best for most children with disabilities, even if their work output is very differentHow life quality is impacted by the early years of social and emotional opportunitiesDiana’s advice about the best way for teachers, administrators, and parents to establish more inclusion in schoolsWhat it takes to change people’s hearts and minds about inclusion and disability awarenessSteps to bring disability awareness and justice Connect with Diana!Visit her websiteDownload Diana’s FREE ebook: The Five Keys to Going Beyond Awareness Links/Resources:Thank you for listening!Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:FacebookInstagramTwitterIEP websiteThis podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matters, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.