Speaker
Description
Having a sibling close to you in age means you spend most of your early lives together. In this interactive presentation, I will talk about my relationship with my younger sister who has Down Syndrome, how I used to feel negatively about having a sister with a disability, and how I have since recognized the precious opportunities and valuable experiences she has brought me. Our relationship has changed significantly over time, and she brings a lot of joy to my life. As a Japanese undergraduate student who is learning about social work at university, I find myself preparing counter-arguments against people who might say “People with disability should not exist.” With my 10-year experience of practicing dance, I have learned a lot from watching various dancers including professionals and people with disability, and teaching neurodiverse students. In the second part of the talk, I will share about how my journey of dancing can be used as a positive response towards critics who exclude people with disabilities, as well as how it can unite neurotypical people and people with different kinds of neurodiversity together. Photos and videos of the dance classes and performances will be shown to compare and contrast typical dance classes with classes for neurologically diverse students. Tips and approaches on teaching such classes will be shared for anyone interested in establishing similar classes in the future.
