Independent Perspective #1624

Guests:  Brianna Gower and Elijah Fagan-Solis

Topic:  Young Leaders and Advocates Network

Duration:  05:42

Published:  November 24, 2020

Host:  Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living. Our guests today are Brianna Gower, Director of the Young Leaders and Advocates Network and Elijah Fagan-Solis, Statewide Youth Empowerment Coordinator with Young Leaders Advocates Network. And we're delighted to have you both on the program. I’m your host, Ernie Churchwell.

Guest:  Thank you for having us.

Host:  It's our pleasure. I imagine that most people listening, this is the first time they've probably heard about the Young Leaders and Advocates Network as it's essentially just getting off the ground, I believe. First, could you tell me who this new organization is designed to serve?

Guest:  Young Leaders and Advocates Network is a state-wide network for and by young people with disabilities. So young people ages 14 to 30 who self-identify as having a disability, mental health challenges or experienced in state systems like juvenile justice and foster care, special education.

Host:  What would you say is the primary reason that the creation of an entity such as this was needed? Is there are young people with disabilities, feeling disenfranchised that they're not really having a voice in the overall disability Civil Rights movement you might say.

Guest:  Absolutely. And I think young people have always played a large part in civil rights movement and the disability rights movement, you can look back at our history, and see, you know, young people at the forefront of a lot of the things that we learn about. But still too often decisions are made for young people with disabilities, without their involvement, or their voices being heard. So, we created this new network to bring this voice to the table and empower them to speak up and create systems change.

Host:  Now you folks are based in Albany, is the network, a statewide thing or a regional thing. How would you define the boundaries of YLAN?

Guest:  Well, our headquarters, while we’re a partner agency of Western New York Independent Living Incorporated based out of Buffalo, New York, our reach is statewide. So that from all the way to New York, to the North Country, western New York, and in between young people can join our network and bring their voices to the table.

Host:  So, if somebody who happens to be well away from Western New York, but within the Empire State hears about this, they would be more than welcome to get in touch and see what they could do. What are the sort of programs that you, or outreaches that you folks have in mind at this point?

Guest:  Apparently right now, we have just launched however we do have what we call working groups, which is something for our members to participate in to help guide our network. As Breanna said, we're run for and by young people, so our working groups help lead our different priorities in our advocacy efforts to help shape our special event, as well as our outreach to partners, as well as our members. In the near future you can look for this kind of experiment we're planning to have a youth summit, as well as something sooner that's this winter, a virtual youth speak out that we plan to have attended by different state dignitaries, to bring that youth voice to our government.

Host:  Well it sounds as though you're certainly open to input and suggestions from people even if they're just joining the organization. At this point in time, we're running, speaking of time we're just running low on it. I'm sure people will have questions. How can they contact you to get more information?

Guest:  People can contact us by email, contacting INFO@YLANetworkNY.org. They can also visit our website www.ylanetworkny.org, and our social media by that you can guess @ylanetworkny. We can also be reached by phone as well all the information available on the website and super easy to get in touch.

Host:  All right, sounds exciting, thank you so much for being with us.

Guest:  Thank you.

Host:  You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living. Our guests today were Brianna Gower, Director of the Young Leaders and Advocates Network and Elijah Fagan-Solis, Statewide Youth Empowerment Coordinator with that organization. Your host is yours truly, Ernie Churchwell.