Ryan Ford feels fulfilled when he supports the rights of autistic people and people with disabilities.
“I want to fight and advocate for people who don’t have a voice or might be afraid to speak up for themselves or others,” he said.
Ryan, a student at AHRC NYC’s Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program at the College of Staten Island, had the opportunity this summer to improve his advocacy skills and meet others with autism and disability services professionals through his participation in the Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) Leadership Academy. An initiative of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, ACI helps autistic students learn to make their college campuses better for people with disabilities. ACI participants learn about forming student groups, understanding disability policy, and talking to people in power.
“I wanted to get involved so I could get involved with the autism community, and that people like me can have a bigger voice,” Ryan explained. “I worked with students and staff from different states. We went over how to fight against discrimination, how to fight for fair treatment, and how to identify and combat discrimination in different spaces. It helps students understand different identities people may have.”
Through his work with the ACI Leadership Academy, Ryan had the chance to lobby some of the most important local leaders in Staten Island and New York State. He met with staff members from Senator Chuck Schumer’s team and spoke with Representative Nicole Malliotakis, whose constituency includes all of Staten Island.
Ryan said of this experience, “It was life-changing and game-changing. It was my first time meeting with Congress people.” He advocated for “keeping all children safe from restraints in the classroom” and for continued support/reauthorization of the Autism CARES Act, which ensures funding for autism research and enhances social services.
“My takeaway was to advocate for the things I want. Don’t ever be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and what you want.”
Subject Matter Expert for AHRC NYC
Ryan’s advocacy goals continue within AHRC NYC through his role as a paid subject matter expert with our Quality Improvement (QI) department’s Rights and Advocacy Committee.
“When I started in QI, it was understood that I would help develop initiatives and work centered on rights and advocacy,” said Tommy Heller, Quality Improvement Officer. “While the organization has always looked to have people with disabilities on our committees, this new chapter looked to solidify their engagement as part of our organizational structure – specifically, formalizing roles for people with disabilities as paid Subject Matter Experts to better balance the diversity of our committee membership. I worked with Sarah Baier [Associate Vice President, Performance Improvement & Innovation] to identify funding streams that could pay people with disabilities to serve on the committee as subject matter experts.” Initially supported by the AHRC NYC Foundation, Subject Matter Experts are now part of the QI department budget, further demonstrating the agency’s commitment to not only having people at the table but also compensating them for their expertise and insight into the lived experience of people with disabilities.
Tommy looked for people receiving services who self-identified as having I/DD and had the ability and desire to speak widely about their experiences within AHRC NYC.
“We didn’t need our experts to know everything about bills or the legislative process yet,” Tommy explained. “We wanted people who could identify areas of feedback about the services they receive and not necessarily identify everything as positive.”
Ryan speaks passionately about ways to improve the MHREP, including continued integration with CUNY Unlimited and fair access on campus to academics, athletics, and financial aid. Tommy says that Ryan’s voice and opinions have been outstanding.
“Ryan has been an invaluable member of our committee for nearly a year now,” Tommy said. “I hope he continues to advocate with us for years to come.”
