Brookline Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion Education Series (BADIES) was held on Wednesday, March 4, to provide insight and shed light on the lives and perspectives of those who are disabled.
Madelyn Carpenter , Staff Writer
The BADIES Telling Our Stories Assembly took place during C-block on Wednesday, March 4, when eight student and staff members shared their experiences through poems, songs and speeches. The Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium was packed as the speakers focused on topics from finding community to having conversations about their disabilities.
The first speaker, freshman Ellie Brainin, was welcomed to the stage with a fist-bump from her fellow speakers. Brainin spoke to the audience about how she doesn’t let her neurofibromatosis type 2 keep her from remaining hard-working and dedicated. Brainin highlighted the importance of hard work to reach her goals.
“My hope is to become an environmental engineer when I grow up,” Brainin said. “I know that becoming an engineer takes a lot of work, but I am willing to do it. I feel it is important to think about more than just my disabilities.”
Brainin also offered advice on how she stays grounded when she is having negative thoughts. According to Brainin, crocheting calms her, along with breathing exercises and meditation.
“I suggest next time you start to get negative thoughts, try it out. Try taking at least five deep breaths and telling yourself that it isn’t permanent. See how you feel after that,” Brainin said.
Next, junior Quinn Friedman took the stage. Friedman spoke about navigating life with her hearing disability, in particular when it comes to wearing her hearing aids. According to Friedman, she began wearing hearing aids in fourth grade. At the time, she didn’t know anyone else who wore hearing aids. Friedman said that speaking at the assembly was a way for her to encourage people to reach out to others and find ways to feel understood.
“I’ve had the experience of trying to convince myself I was just like everybody else, and so I always felt very isolated. Especially not knowing anybody my age who had a hearing disability, I couldn’t relate to anyone,” Friedman said. “I really hope that sharing my speech and sharing my story could inspire other people and make them reach out or build a community.”
Junior Katie Vannah spoke about their experience with neurofibromatosis type 1 and how their love to read and write can sometimes come with difficulties. According to Vannah, their peers would sometimes make fun of their mistakes, leaving them feeling like the punchline of a joke. Vannah also spoke about their café ole spots and how a compliment about their spots from three years ago still carries weight with them today.
“A nice compliment that sounds like a compliment can mean so much,” Vannah said. “I’m a junior now, but the friend that I mentioned in my speech, that happened in freshman year and I think about that moment every day. It stuck with me because that was the first time someone told me that I was cool because of my differences rather than in spite of them. It really meant a lot to me.”
The last speaker was senior Holly Anthony. Anthony discussed how they want to see a future for people with disabilities without isolation from society. According to Anthony, pride needs to be associated with disability.
“To most of society, being disabled doesn’t have that beauty. It’s time for us to be proud,” Anthony said in their speech. “I’m disabled. That word has value.”
Jack Hochleutner, Staff Writer
BADIES continued into E-block with a live interview with actors Pari Kim and Tina Caruso from the Netflix original series “Love on the Spectrum,” which follows young autistic adults as they navigate the complexities of dating, relationships and romance. The two discussed their struggles with disability and their eye-opening journey together on the show as a couple.
They were introduced by seniors Sophia Miller-Culver and Dani Lyons, who conducted the interview. They began by discussing what led them to the show. For Caruso, after so many years of being misunderstood due to her struggle with nystagmus, dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), she wanted to find a partner who would accept her for who she was. Caruso said that upon seeing that “Love on the Spectrum” was coming to the U.S. for the first time, she was inspired to put herself out there and apply.
“I immediately told my family, ‘I am going to do that,’” Caruso said.
Kim and Caruso went on to explain how, growing up, they each experienced a lot of discrimination in and out of school in the form of verbal harassment and cyberbullying. Kim felt as though she had to conceal certain aspects of her identity, including her passion for trains.
“When I was younger, I used to be so ashamed of my autism,” Kim said.
She said that her experiences on the show and her relationship with Caruso helped her to come to terms with her diagnosis. She explained that she was proud of just how far she had come and wanted to continue to push herself out of her comfort zone.
“I’m glad I’m here to shatter glass ceilings,” Kim said. “I am unapologetically autistic.”
Caruso recently attended MassArt, earning a degree in photography. She said that in her time there, she founded the
MassArt Union of Disabled Students. Caruso said she hopes she has made a lasting impact on the community there and wants to continue to make a difference as she goes forward in her career.
“There really is so much more that we need to speak up about in the world,” Caruso said.
After the interview concluded, Kim made some final remarks at a meet-and-greet in the library. She was asked what she would tell her younger self after her experience on the show, if given the chance.
“Love can come in all different forms,” Kim said. “It is beautiful and everyone wants a chance at love. I’m glad we get to showcase that to the world.”
