Beth Dixon, Class of 1988
Many of you know parts of this story…
In 1988 I attended the first Leadership Series at the brand new Institute on Disability at UNH – a Series modeled after Minnesota’s Partners in Policymaking. It was the first grant the IOD received and it was expected to be a one-time thing.
At that time my son, Andrew, was 5 years old and I was trying to figure out how he could have a good life with his list of labels. We only heard about all of the things he couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t, and can’t do and creating a vision for his life was hard. I was nominated for the NH Leadership Series at the Institute on Disability. The Series was 3, 2-day sessions back then (as opposed to 9 sessions now). 30 people were selected to participate from throughout NH and my world has never been the same since attending. We learned of the importance of developing relationships, creating a vision, having high expectations, community organizing, how to affect change through the legislative process, and of the recommended practices around inclusive education, employment, positive behavioral supports, housing, etc. – we learned that the possibilities were endless with a plan and some hard work.
We heard from families who had paved the way to higher expectations for our kids and we learned from their experiences. A year after attending the Series, Andrew was fully included in 1st grade in his neighborhood school and was a member of the Boys & Girls Club -- and we haven’t looked back.
Luckily, I was asked to come to work at the IOD in 1990 to assist in organizing another Series for 35 more parents and adults with disabilities and continued coordinating this Series for the next 22 years.
The last 25 years have been amazing. Nearly 900 of us have graduated from the Leadership Series and have gone on to change school systems, become school board members, and sit on dozens of local and state boards and councils throughout NH. Some have started advocacy organizations, support groups, and at least 10 have run for the legislature. Seven have held seats in the House and one in the Senate, and our own Governor Maggie Hassan is a Leadership grad. At least 10 pieces of legislation have been presented and voted into law in NH with the help and push from Leadership graduates.
Can you imagine being lucky enough to organize and bring the information and stunning presenters that changed my life (and more importantly, Andrew’s life) to another 900 people? Year after year people would ask, “how is this Leadership class?” and year after year I’d reply, “this is the best class ever!” For me, this was the best job ever!
On June 30th I retired from the Institute on Disability. I want to thank every one of you for your support and for challenging me and yourselves as we’ve moved forward. I thank each of you for the friendships and relationships that were built along the way – I value these above all else.
And as an update, Andrew is now 32 years old, still has his list of labels, and he’s just as wonderful as ever! He was included throughout his school years in regular classes and graduated with his class, he attended college classes for about 2 ½ years and now he owns his own business and lives in his own home… all with the supports necessary to be successful and live a full life. Andrew has a family and good friends who love him. He really likes going to plays, movies, and concerts. He likes reading and his iPad. He is working very hard to be an independent communicator and is well on his way. He likes to ride on just about anything; a car, horse, train, boat, plane…and is planning his next vacation. He voted in the last election. Andrew is a perfect example of why we need to have a vision, a plan, and stay true to the “Least Dangerous Assumption” and “The Presumption of Competence”.
The torch has been passed to you year after year at graduation from the Series and you have kept the flame of possibilities alive and well. Rest assured, I’ll enjoy watching your successes and will be available whenever needed. Don’t be surprised to see my name on letters and the Leadership list serve asking for support to keep the Series going. “Leadership” isn’t something that just stops on June 30th for any of us – there’s too much at stake…
With gratitude,
Beth
