Welcome to design with us!

As the co-founder and executive director of this organization, I wanted to share why this organization is so different. When I became a parent of a child with a disability, I had never personally known a person with a physical disability. Many people experience disability culture for the first time due to a family connection. I did not know congenital limb differences existed when Jordan was born. I was hit with a wave of cultural ableism and dwelled on things I assumed she would not be able to do. She proved to me time and time again how wrong I was.

I launched a blog in 2005 to connect with other parents and try to learn more about how to build a community so she wouldn’t feel alone. I also didn’t want to feel alone. Thanks to my years of writing, I’ve met so many wonderful families. And even better? I’ve gotten to know the disability community. Breaking beyond the disability parenting world changed everything for me.

is important to view disability beyond a medical diagnosis

Through the years, as my daughter’s advocate and ally, I realized how my knowledge of the disability community is different than most parents. When we launched this nonprofit, we created workshops for disabled kids to take full ownership of their creative ideas based on their lived experiences. Society pushes disabled bodies to come up with creative solutions to get through each day. Our workshops tap into that natural problem-solving skill. We also encourage our young participants to brainstorm and design WITHOUT adults outside of our volunteer design mentors. When I stepped away and allowed Jordan to tap into her creativity, she designed an idea that set off a path to creating this organization, a book, and opportunities to speak up for more disability inclusion.

Combining disability and design is important

I keep moving Design With Us forward because it’s incredible to watch our workshop attendees learn and find joy in creating something that they thought up and they can use. Seeing a spark in their eyes as they create is magical. I am committed to bringing our workshops back in person. But we want to grow our virtual workshops as well. The virtual workshops not only gave disabled kids a chance to tap into their creativity but also youth with typical bodies. Our virtual participants learned how design concepts change when you design WITH communities you do not know personally. True inclusive design cannot happen without recognizing no one can hold a full view of design on their own.

DESIGN WITH US WELCOMES YOU

As our organization ramps back up, we can’t wait to welcome the young people in your life to learn and design. At the core, our organization offers opportunities a chance to tap into joy. Designing for yourself is a joyful experience. Our organization exists to fuel those opportunities.