This past week, Maura Sullivan, The Arc’s Senior Director of Government Affairs and Health Policy, was a guest lecturer at Suffolk University. Each semester, Maura teaches a class to Suffolk undergraduates on Affecting Social Change.
Engaging the next generation of advocates is an important goal for The Arc. These students learn about how legislative advocacy can force legal change, but how it takes longer to change attitudes and beliefs – and furthermore, that their everyday relationships are the most powerful way to transform cultural and social change. They also learn about movements like de-institutionalization as an example of both legal and social movement.
Students begin to understand the barriers the disability community faces, like institutional bias, unheard voices, and funding. Through this course, Maura asks them to undo their assumptions and always make room at the table for meaningful inclusion.
