​An EmpowHering Year

Last October, I wrote about a new program that Disability EmpowHer Network had launched called EmpowHer Camp. I shared that EmpowHer Camp is a multi-stage skill-building, empowerment, and mentoring program that brings a diverse group of transition age girls with disabilities to camp with successful disabled women mentors in the Adirondacks for one week to learn about disaster preparedness and basic survival skills, while also developing independent living and leadership skills. Then, the next summer, the girls reunite in Washington, D.C., to explore how they have grown as leaders. During the year between the first trip and the reunion trip, the girls create a yearlong local project involving inclusive disaster strategies. I also shared how our first camping experience went and everything that I had learned in that one week.

Well, it’s been a year, and I am proud to say that each of the nine young leaders in our EmpowHer Camp program successfully graduated from EmpowHer Camp in July 2022! Over the past year, all nine of them worked with their EmpowHer Camp mentors to design and complete a project that would positively impact the community. All of them did amazing work, and each of their projects helped the community in profound ways. For example, one young leader collected data on how ill-prepared school districts are to assist disabled students during school shootings. After collecting this data, she wrote a white paper on the subject to share her research, and it was recently published! Another young leader worked with her local domestic violence shelter to help them become more accessible so that people with disabilities would be able to access their services.

In addition to working on their projects with their mentors, our young leaders also worked on their personal goals and connected with their mentors on deep and meaningful issues. Throughout the year, our young leaders talked with their mentors about advice for seeking jobs, how to ask for accommodations, techniques for improving their mental health, tips on makeup, and so much more.

In July, we reunited in Washington, D.C., where our young leaders presented their yearlong projects to leaders in the Disability Community, met with strong disabled women working in Washington, D.C., and even had meetings with their Senators about the impact they’ve made in their communities! We also had a ton of fun touring monuments, going to museums, and reminiscing about everything that had happened over the past year.