SARTAC Looking for Self-Advocate Fellows to Tackle Disability Issues
SARTAC is hosting a webinar for applicants December 7. See details below.
Would you like to grow your skills as a leader or self-advocate? SARTAC, or The Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center, is now accepting applications for its 2018-2019 Fellowship program. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2017.
The SARTAC Fellowship aims to discover new ideas to solve problems that people with disabilities experience. SARTAC will choose six self-advocates for the fellowships that begin March 2018 and continue through February 2019. Each fellowship project must end with a report or product that others can use after the project is over to address problems in the disability community. Fellows must work with a host organization for support, such as a state disabilities council, a university center, a disability rights organizations, or a self-advocacy organization such as Florida Self-advocates Network’D (FL SAND). Fellows receive $5000 for their projects.
In order to be able to apply for the fellowship, applicants must have been involved in a leadership role in a group or event for three years, they may not have been employed by the host organization in the past, they must be able to share ideas by writing or typing, they must participate in conference calls with other fellows or SARTAC leaders, and be able to present their project at the SABE National Self Advocacy Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, in June 2018. Fellows are expected to work on the project approximately 6 hours a week during the year.
SARTAC aims to have 24 fellows total. The first six fellows began their projects in 2017. Projects that current fellows are working on include training programs for their host organization. Fellow Shiloh Blackburn’s training project “Developing Accessible Online Leadership Training and Resources” is hosted by The University of Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development. Other projects include researching and creating awareness of policies that the fellow would like to change or make people more aware of.
Floridian Danielle McGill’s project, “A-Ride-Away: An Advocate’s Guide to Going Places!,” focuses on increasing awareness of transportation needs for people with disabilities and includes policy recommendations through a guide for self-advocates, educators, and community members. Her host organization is The Ann Storck Center in Broward County.
SARTAC will hold a webinar for self-advocates interested in applying for the fellowship. “How to Apply for a SARTAC Fellowship” will be held Thursday, December 7, at 1 PM (EST). This webinar will be Live Closed Captioned. For more information on the fellowship, webinar, and to see the list of 2017 Fellows, click here.
