Welcome to Episode 010 of the #JPSPEAKS: Social Justice & Inclusion Podcast for Higher Education Professionals! Today, I had the honor of interviewing, Christina Papaleo, the founder of The Blindside Visionary.

Below, you will find the show notes, a biography on Christina Papaleo, and Christina’s call-to-action! Enjoy!

Christina Papaleo’s Biography & Contact Info:

Christina graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Cortland (Cortland, NY) in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Selected Studies, which gave her the freedom to participate in various disability advocacy initiatives while utilizing her three and a half years of coursework in Special Education. After serving as a Resident Assistant for two years at Cortland, she knew her calling was on a college campus to advocate for accessible and inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities. Christina has presented her project, “Beyond the Blind Side,” at different institutions across New York State, and intends on continuing her speaking career. She is currently finishing up her Master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration at SUNY Buffalo State College in Buffalo, NY. Christina also serves as a Graduate Residence Director at Medaille College. Both of
these experiences, and her evolving mission as a “Blind Side Visionary” has empowered her to be a transformative advocate of change in higher education. Upon graduating through speaking engagements and workshops, Christina hopes to equip student affairs educators to be “blind side visionaries,”  as a new approach to support all marginalized identities.

Show Notes:

• Christina Papaleo’s Website

• Contact Christina Papaleo for a Speaking Engagement:
  • E-mail: christina.marie.papaleo@gmail.com
  • LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

• Person-First vs. Identity First Language: https://themighty.com/2015/08/should-you-use-person-first-or-identity-first-language2/
• Disability Etiquette (resource booklet): https://www.unitedspinal.org/pdf/DisabilityEtiquette.pdf
• Attitudinal Barriers for People with Disabilities: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/attitudinal-barriers-for-people-with-disabilities
• Models of Disability: http://www.copower.org/leadership/models-of-disability
• Understanding Self-Advocacy: https://teachingselfadvocacy.wordpress.com/description-of-self-advocacy/
• Christina’s Book Recommendations:
  – No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement by Joseph P. Shapiro
  – The Disability Studies Reader by Lennard J. Davis
  – Disability in Higher Education by Nancy J. Evans, Ellen M. Broido, Kirsten R. Brown, Autumn K. Wilke
  – Disability Theory by Tobin Siebers
  – The Gifts of Imperfection by Dr. Brene Brown

Call-to-Action:

What is your reaction to the above call-to-action? What conversations or thoughts have you had as a result of the above call-to-action? In order to build community around these challenges, share your reactions and accomplishments on your social media accounts by using #JPSPEAKS!

*IF NEEDED, A PDF OF THE AUDIO TRANSCRIPT CAN BE CREATED FOR YOU BY EMAILING INFO@JAMIEPIPERATO.COM (PLEASE ALLOW 7-10 BUSINESS DAYS FOR THE CREATION OF THIS FILE)!