Why Should I Care?

Van V. Barndt, my beloved uncle

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭’𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲, 

𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲?

-I wear hearing aids and I often rely on closed-captioning

-I want my children to have maternity leave without fear of losing their jobs

-I believe it is just and right when Native Americans receive college scholarships as reparations

-I want my LGBTQ friends and family to have protection from job discrimination

-Housing and public buildings with ramps and accessible doorways allows people that I love to live a full life (someday I may use a walker or a wheelchair!)

-As a person with Down Syndrome, my uncle Van would have been denied employment and many of the services that he needed 

-People alive TODAY were denied access to white-only water fountains and pools

-My daughter’s clients are young people with autism whose lives are enriched by having access to public school 

-My organization is deeply enriched by my ability to purposely hire and highlight people who are black, brown, gay, neurodiverse, female or immigrants

-The children at Theo’s school thrive when they get to show up and be accepted for who they are

-My son had debilitating OCD and accommodations at school helped keep him alive during a time when he was suicidal and terrified

-I remember when being a woman in the workplace meant you were limited to certain roles - and you had to wear pantyhose and heels (gross!)

-TV shows, movies, and commercials are so much more interesting and real when everyone on them isn’t white

-I’m a middle-aged woman who will soon face the reality of age discrimination in the workplace

-I appreciate being able to celebrate the religious holidays that are meaningful to me and believe others should have the right to do the same - even if we don’t share the same religion

-I don’t want people with cancer or other high-cost conditions to be at risk for losing employment because their employer wants to rid themselves of the insurance burden….and so much more