Title:
Welcome National Disability Influencer, Andraéa LaVant

Subtitle:
Insights from a Leading Voice in Disability Inclusion and the Impact of Crip Camp

Transcript:

Alycia Anderson: Welcome back to Pushing Forward with Alycia. I’m Alycia Anderson. We’ve got an extraordinary guest today. You know, when you work in an industry, I’m in the disability inclusion, disability advocacy, industry. There are certain faces that are like, kind of like icons in the space.

We have one today she’s an internationally known sought after disability inclusion expert.

She’s the president and CEO of Levant Consulting. Her firm is award nominated and leading in. And by a disabled, black, queer woman. I love all of the layers. Don’t leave one thing out. I love it.

And she’s dedicated to transforming a world that includes the views and the values of disabled people. She’s a recognized.

face in spearheading global disability inclusion, justice, the movement. She’s a producer from Crip Camp, amazing documentary about the history of disability inclusion. And all of that was produced by the Obama’s alongside you, I believe. And she’s just pretty amazing. So the list of accolades are going on and on and on and on. But Andrea Levant, thank you for embracing your queen presence on my show today. I’m so seriously excited.

Andraéa LaVant: I’m excited. too. And, um, yeah, thank you for having me. It’s always a pleasure. nice to be in, in good company,

Alycia Anderson: I agreed. Can we start with how you’ve transformed from a young disabled girl into this influencer who’s leading the way for a lot of us to follow and feel power in our space.

Andraéa LaVant: Sure.

Um, so I was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, which is a neuromuscular condition, a form of muscular dystrophy. And I was essentially diagnosed when I was around 18 months, so disability has been my. Life experience. I think the big aspect of my story is that it doesn’t mean because it’s been there doesn’t mean that it’s been always been something that I’ve been, excited about, or quite frankly, just even something that I would want to really talk about or emphasize, particularly from a space of empowerment, I grew up as a wheelchair user. I often was the only in, anything that I did, you know, the 1st, wheelchair user mainstream classes and in most of the schools that I went to. summer camps, whatever it was, church, all of that, I was kind of the guinea pig. And so I really spent much of my childhood just trying to be accepted, which meant that I was not, Embracing of my disability and, really tried to get tried to overcompensate, I was doing all the things to kind of get people to not see disability. And so. I even steered away from doing anything career related to disability because I felt like that was so stereotypical and what people would expect me to do.

And so, I, tried not to and yet, in my mid twenties, after studying public relations and starting working in non profit, I moved to Washington, D. C. was working in a local nonprofit, and I started experiencing challenges just, trying to navigate various systems, whether that was getting personal care. Attendant services to be able to get out of bed in the morning or, public transportation, all the things that we essentially experienced trying to just be an adult, a young adult and an independent adult and, kept experiencing barriers that were frustrating for me because I felt like I had, A, I had done everything my parents It told me to do, you work hard, you can live your dream. And also, I felt like as someone that was, pretty decently educated, right, that if I couldn’t figure out these systems and how to navigate, then how much more for folks that didn’t have the type of access, and especially even living in the nation’s capital, So, that was when I was essentially presented with an opportunity around my, , mid twenties to come work for a think tank that worked on, use, specifically supporting youth with disabilities and transitioning from school to work, which felt like me, so I kind of had that moment that I think a lot of us do where we experience enough barriers and enough of the challenges that make you go, okay, if I don’t do something about this, who will? And, that’s what brought me to where we’re at today.

Alycia Anderson: you said that you used to try to hide or compensate for your disability. And I, you Used to do the same thing. What’s the advice that you could give somebody who is making that transition right now can you speak to that at all?

Andraéa LaVant: they say hindsight is 2020. When I look back at some of the things that I did, I was like, Whoa, what were you thinking? Um, because it wasn’t all flowers and rainbows. That’s for sure.

thankfully I grew up with, my, parents who were very, just weren’t limiting in terms of possibility and, raised me. I mean, they were, they left home when they were 18. not just left home, they moved to a different state. they went far away from home and kind of built their lives. So that was just what I thought you did, And, my mom would, sound like she was kind of joking, but not when she would say, I don’t know when you what you’re going to do when you turn 18, but you got to get up out of here.

That was like her, you know, that was her, um, statement.

And so, in my mind, I was like, I mean, I got to go somewhere because that’s what, my mom said, and she later told me that she actually, again, because of the generation that she grew up in. she told me, I actually did not think that you would ever leave because I hadn’t seen that before, but she also did not tell me those things she talks about how when I was little, you know, probably three and four years old, I would see the school bus and go, mommy, I want to ride the bus.

I want to ride the bus. And again, the generation she grew up in, that wasn’t a thing. Accessible buses weren’t a thing. And so she would say, okay, baby, you’ll ride the bus. But she was like, in my mind, I’m like, she’s never going to ride the bus. But she never told me those things. So I think that, if there’s advice that I would give, whether that’s. someone else around you, that’s encouraging you or you encouraging yourself that, it’s really choosing not to place limits, even on what you don’t see, I think a lot of times we base. what we think our possibilities or potential on what currently exists. When I look back, no, I did not, I didn’t have anybody that looked like that, but it was just a mindset of like, just because I don’t see it doesn’t mean that it can’t happen, you know?

Alycia Anderson: Just because I don’t see it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. And I’m assuming that’s what took you from Wanting to hide your disability, to wanting to disrupt eventually. And it feels like that transition into that job where you’re helping other disabled people train.

I mean, you’re an expert at it, right? Like you jumped right in. So I think that’s powerful.

Andraéa LaVant: Yep. Absolutely. I think, I think so. So those were the things that, I remember my boss at the time, Saying to me, essentially, and he was one of, he was a hard, hardcore guy that was kind of no holds barred. And, uh, I had a couple of years of work experience, not a whole lot. and I also was not steeped in, uh, I wasn’t one that grew up in the, in the movement.

I didn’t have any context for disability history, disability rights. I didn’t know at the time who Judy Heumann or Ed Roberts, or, you know, any of those folks were. and yet I was going to be teaching like disability history and stuff. But I remember him saying to me, basically, you’re not qualified for this on paper, but it’s your story that will impact young people.

And that’s you know, that’s what I felt that I could relate, obviously, to the people that I would be supporting. and so that’s what. has continued to drive me is, the knowledge that it’s not just about me, you know?

Alycia Anderson: And how does that translate to like your business today?

Andraéa LaVant: So I worked for, Over a decade, in non profit, I was at, primarily my longest tenure was working for Girl Scouts, in the D. C. area, leading their disability inclusion, work, and, you know, supporting volunteers, leading training, um, grants, things like that to support, girls with disabilities and, you know, Leadership programming and being in D.

C. You’re exposed to so many different industries and, outlets organization. So, I was advocating personally on Capitol Hill different doing

things around health care home services and things like that. And then, we would get funding from corporate agencies and we would get, um, philanthropic, organizations and I kept going. Experiencing and even working with parents and, and my colleagues, I was the only one in this 120 person organization that had this specific expertise. And so a lot of times I just kept finding that it wasn’t that people were unwilling to address disability or know or learn, about it, or, you know, to employ disabled people or have them in their Girl Scout troops, it was, it was based on fear. They didn’t want to get it wrong. So they just didn’t, you know, like, Oh, we can’t do that. We can’t accommodate that person. You know, we don’t know what, I mean, I, even with the job that I got when I moved to DC, I interviewed, this was back before Zoom or anything like that.

I was doing phone interviews cause I was living in Tennessee at the time and. Everything was fine and I did not disclose that I had a disability. and then um, I, it went really well and I was like, I think that it’s possible.

They may offer me the job and I ended up calling the, um, person who would become my boss and saying, hey, just want to let you know that I have a physical disability. At the time, like, I regret some of my language when I look back because I kind of was trying to, again, it was that overcompensation, that, uh, you know, you know, but don’t worry, it doesn’t impact my work and, you know, um, but I did have the foresight to say, if there are things that stood out to you about my interview, like, my creativity or the fact that I’m consider myself a really patient person. I would attribute that to my experiences as a disabled person and navigating this world. And so she sounded fine and everything was good in the moment. And then What was supposed to be, okay, we’ll call you back in a couple of days and, let you know about the hiring became, oh, you know, can you come to D.

C. and by the way, we don’t have an accessible bathroom on this floor. There was a lot of this kind of backtracking and I ended up getting the job. I flew to D. C. got it anyway. But I, when I look back at that experience, once again, it was them going. Oh, wait, we don’t want to get sued.

Do we not have something, right based on hiring this person. And so after encountering that enough, I felt like. Again, with this communications background that I had, um, that I wanted to kind of be that middle ground that that conduit of sorts to help organizations to help companies and such to, address those fears and, to fill in those knowledge gaps. and so that’s what kind of sparked the desire to start what I thought was just going to be me being an independent consultant. Another thing that stands out to me is I remember, going to a conference, now it’s probably been about 10 years ago And there was a guy that said. if you’re not working for your own mission, then you’re, working for someone else’s. And so I remember how much, the Girl Scout mission was like drilled into us, you know, building girls of courage, confidence, and character that make the world a better place.

And that was the mission of Juliet Gordon Lowe, who started this organization. In 1912, like, I knew all this history and was pushing forward this mission, which is beautiful. And it’s somebody’s, you know, mission and you need people to continue to carry out the mission. And there are some people that are mission kind of drivers, mission creators, and there are some people that carry out the mission.

And I’ve always kind of known that I’m the vision person that’s, that’s my lane. And so I was like, I hit a point of being like, Okay, I’m tired of carrying out this old white ladies, mission I have, I have one of my own that I’m aiming to accomplish. And I’m grateful that now I have people that, work alongside me to carry that out because I certainly couldn’t do it on my own.

Alycia Anderson: And thank you so much to our Pushing Forward community for joining us again. This has been Pushing Forward with Alycia and that is how we roll on this podcast. We’ll see you next week. The thing that you just said about how you would go into the job interview and be ready to explain how you can do the job and how the disability is not a thing and wish it away. that happened to me in every job interview that I have ever been on. It’s the first thing I would do.

And I look back at myself and I’m like, gosh, darn, why’d you, why? But. So how are you helping companies like solve for that, for the people that are walking in the door, rolling in the

Andraéa LaVant: Yeah. I mean, I think we’re in a different space, even than we were. I mean, when I started out almost 20 years ago, where. There are spaces, many companies that just from a cultural shift perspective, even the concept of D. I. whether it’s fading or not, that’s a conversation for another day. But, those that are starting to appreciate and understand disability as an aspect of diversity and really the value of having disabled people, perspectives and intersectional perspectives in general and how that really, drives business.

I think that. I vacillate back and forth between when I started out, we were often focusing on the business case, which was essentially that, it increases your bottom line, you know, hiring disabled people, having disabled people as consumers is going to make you more money. Think that there is an evolution, that also. sees that it’s just important to have diverse perspectives, to embrace difference, because it just makes everything better.

Alycia Anderson: So you said the word difference and diversity. You’re like this powerful image of your race. Of your sexuality, of your ability, and you hold it all really well and in a power position.

Can you talk to me a little bit about your identity

Andraéa LaVant: Mm hmm.

Alycia Anderson: That piece of who you are?

Andraéa LaVant: it’s so interesting because people, essentially think, hey, you’re born a certain way. You are what you are and you Move forward with that. Sometimes you may love it. So I mean, you know, sometimes not. But, for me, it’s been a journey. obviously being born into a family where there is, a single shared identity or perhaps multiple and that I’m a black woman.

And that’s one thing. and my parents were graduates of HBCUs and we went to a predominant black church, in our community. And so that had a lot of programming around black history and things like that. So it’s always been a natural kind of love and appreciation for my blackness, black history.

And, um, And so that was, that was one thing, I think that the nuance for me always was disability even in Black spaces, often being the only disabled person. And so then I couldn’t relate, even though I was in a room of people that in many ways were like me, but also I felt so different.

And so I think that’s one of the big reasons why it it was such a journey for acceptance and even pride in disability. because I didn’t have that growing up. And so that was an aspect of, of the journey for sure. And then just when I thought I was nice and settled. I fell in love with the woman.

And so that was another, layer that I was not expecting. And, to be honest, if you talk about what’s has been the most nuanced or even challenging aspect of identity to embrace. Disability is ever evolving. So, there’s that, . But, um, queer identity has been multi layered because I grew up and, a very religious household.

Well, to be honest, not just growing up in a religious household. I was very active in, I mean, my wife and I met at church and it was not a queer affirming church. So, now it’s like an inter abled queer you know, relationship and, exploring beliefs. So I’m thrilled to hear the way that you, know, describe it, from an outside perspective of how, it being perceived. It’s not. It’s not untrue. I’m very proud of wholly who I am, but that is very much been a journey for sure.

Alycia Anderson: That’s like kind of the new challenge. And maybe that’s life is that things come in and you’re kind of, and are you better equipped to handle that because you’re a disabled black woman who’s been dealing with identity, affirmation probably within yourself and community since you were born, really.

Andraéa LaVant: I imagine that I am. I think that, my family has always accepted disability, queerness was a different story. and we’re all good now, but that was a different journey, you know what I mean? So I think that it’s one thing when society has certain perceptions, but you’re embraced by your community or, what have you.

And queer identity, I did lose relationships, you know, we’ve had to navigate some incredibly hard conversations, and I am I’m the happiest I’ve ever been because, because of that, um, because this was a really choosing of myself and choosing of ourselves, but it’s been a journey, for sure. All totally worth it.

Alycia Anderson: Um, can we talk about the Oscars and Crip Camp just a little bit? I think our listeners would be upset if I didn’t ask you about it.

Andraéa LaVant: Mhm.

Alycia Anderson: such a beautiful representation, the documentary itself. I, when I watched it, I felt like, wow, this is really it, you know, it was very authentic in my, it reminded me of when I went to camp when I was like all those things.

So can you like, just tell us a little bit about how it was, like, how was that experience?

Andraéa LaVant: So, you know, we were brought on. I was brought on along with Stacy Milburn, who’s since passed, as impact producers. So we weren’t there to produce the film, but we were there

To, take the messaging of the film and ensure that it Connected with, most importantly with our community, it is a story of, community of, revolution, and just embracing of identity that, Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham, um, put together, and we obviously have icons So, to your point, when I saw it prior to its release, it just, I felt so seen, as a, like, so many of the statements, the things that people were saying, like, oh my gosh, and I was thinking to myself, they were saying this in the 70s, and I was saying this in the, late nineties, early two thousands.

And at the time I was mentoring a young woman who was, a senior in high school at the high school that I went to with my same diagnosis. And it was the same conversations I was having with her. And so I think that, that’s what was so significant about it is it was timeless, but it also let other people in on our. experiences and also a history that had really been unfortunately hidden, you know.

Alycia Anderson: the history piece alone, almost every stage that I’m on, I, number one, recommend to go watch it. And number two, go study because how is the disability rights movement, the piece of history that is, is, uh, It’s such a powerful, incredible story, and then for it to be tied in with the civil rights movement, the Black Panthers, like, you know, just the whole thing is so incredible.

How did it take this long for that to be amplified?

Andraéa LaVant: the how is that we’ve been overlooked, we’ve been ignored. I’m so grateful that, and that’s what, you know, The film really did. It brought to the forefront. in a we know the power of the media. We know the power of, the screen and and what that does in terms of movement building.

And so grateful that they have this footage. and we’re able to put together something so powerful that, I mean, there was just a screening, what, two weeks ago, uh, you know, here in LA of the film. It’s still the momentum, that it has is still so relevant and will, and it will remain, you know, it will remain so.

And so I’m glad, I’m grateful that the, um, powers that be saw it, worthy enough to be, taken to the Oscars. And I’m grateful that I was, you was invited to be a part of that experience because, it really was a first and I think our presence at the Oscars and even my going to the Oscars is what started what it remains a relationship with the Academy where we, um, the firm support their accessibility and have supported, um, the accessibility of the in person ceremony and some of the live stream experience as well since then, over the past few years.

So to me, that’s, that’s impacts. it’s, uh, kind of is like the pebble, in, in the water that continues to have ripple effects that aren’t just like, okay, what you saw. On, on the screen, but that it, the messaging of Crip Camp, the film, how it has really catapulted, not just conversations, but even the careers of so many of us, and, because we’re being recognized disabled folks in ways that we hadn’t before, um, including, you know, working with great Yeah.

Alycia Anderson: that. And I think another ripple effect is just the imagery of you and Judy Heumann and just like the whole crew rolling down red carpet. But specifically. Like, I remember what you were wearing. I remember how powerful it was. I had no idea who you were at that point. I knew you were, but we didn’t know.

It lit a fire under my butt with my career in this advocacy role, you know? So I think there was a lot of ripple effects that you’ve created with this work that you’ve done.

It’s very powerful.

Andraéa LaVant: I love that. That’s it. That’s the goal, you know, and, and yet there is, um, so much more opportunity. Some not, I don’t like to say more work. Um, I think there’s more living to do more. impact to make in whatever ways we feel, that is, I think that, you know, disabled people, um, again, nobody’s coming to save us.

So we, we work really hard off and we work harder than anybody, um, else. And, uh, I am Embracing the season of, um, just enjoying life and, and seeing what comes with that, you know?

Alycia Anderson: Okay. We have a lot of companies that are listening to this podcast. Give a quick little synopsis of what y’all do so they can reach out to you and hire you for your services.

Andraéa LaVant: Yeah, we’re a disability focused strategy and communications firm. Our primary services kind of lie in three areas. one is content development, content marketing. Um, and then we have our, uh, what we just consider to be our capacity building. And that’s, Any sort of trainings, everything from, disability etiquette, uh, equitable workplaces, all the way to, um, race and disability, thinking about intersectional, kind of justice centered disability. And then our third area is event program and product design. I think that’s what a lot of folks know us for in terms of accessibility. Those are our event accessibility, working with, entertainment, spaces and tech spaces to support, product accessibility and product design, um, and even programs if you’re aiming to support or engage with disabled people.

Alycia Anderson: And thank you so much for entering my life. I’m so happy that we’re friends. I can’t wait for us to brainstorm and figure out what project we’re doing together. I

Andraéa LaVant: absolutely, absolutely,

Alycia Anderson: Okay, we wrap this show up with a pushing forward moment. you have a little mantra or something that you can give away to our listeners to give them a little inspiration in their lives.

Andraéa LaVant: Um,

Alycia Anderson: No pressure.

Andraéa LaVant: Okay, here’s one. Uh, I am proud of who I am and the life I’ve chosen.

Alycia Anderson: I love it. I am proud of who I am in the life I have chosen,

Thank you so much for being willing to have this chat with me. I really

Andraéa LaVant: Absolutely. Thanks

for having me. This was fun.

Alycia Anderson: We’re going to leave all your website, all your information in the show notes so everybody can get in touch with you and get you real extra busy with work

Andraéa LaVant: Awesome.

Awesome. Thank you, All right.

Take care. Bye bye.

Alycia Anderson: Hold on. And thank you so much to our Pushing Forward community for joining us again. This has been Pushing Forward with Alycia and that is how we roll on this podcast. We’ll see you next week.