NOTE: Emily Ouimette, California, USA, is a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy. She speaks candidly about bullying, misunderstanding, and the daily challenges of disability, transforming adversity into strength. Her journey reflects the resilience of millions—rising with dignity and determination—and her voice reminds us that every challenge can spark change.
Ken Masson, Founding Club President
My Path to Healing — and a Movement for Pride, Leadership, and Global Change
By Rotarian Emily Ouimette
Starting a Disability Inclusion Week at Mt. Saint Mary’s University helped me heal from past trauma and bullying for being autistic. This event was supported by Disability Rights California and many other disability rights organizations; I’m pleased to say it was a success. In lieu of past painful experiences, I set out to create a safe space and a community of belonging and inclusion with this endeavor. I hoped to effect change and shift people’s minds and the stigmas surrounding disability. It is important for these kinds of events to be led by disabled people to maintain an authentic sense of authorship. We had over 120 students attend the Disability Inclusion Awareness Week. It was praised by the Student Government Association, University administration and staff, and most importantly, the student body.
Appreciation and awareness around disability is a constant process. When I was a young girl in seventh grade, I participated in another kind of autism awareness week, but unfortunately the school had posted videos of me online without parental permission. It took three years to get all the videos taken down. The videos had exposed me as autistic, and my classmates subsequently discriminated against me and called me slurs for it. Even though I’m disabled, I was often told, “you don't need any help!”. To this day, I still receive discriminatory messages like discouragement to have my own children, that I am demanding special treatment, or that I am simply a mentally ill person. Throughout my education, I've been denied services, and some teachers still question my diagnosis. All these struggles lit the fire in me to help people see disability as a prideful culture of acceptance, not just a disability that is seen as a detriment that must be hidden.
My next major goal is to make disability awareness international and mainstream. I believe us disabled people will never stand equitably until we begin to enter positions of leadership and change. I’d love to deepen my collaborations with organizations and especially Rotarians from different countries, to exchange ideas about global accessibility. These partnerships are essential in setting up disability inclusion initiatives that reach far beyond our sphere of understanding. One small positive gesture can cause a ripple effect out towards the world, so keep on the good work of spreading kindness, joy, and patience at whatever capacity you have today.