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Youth receive first-hand experience working in an office setting and often work on youth-driven advocacy campaigns, such as the Disability History Week Campaign and Taking Action for Accommodations. The YO! Volunteer Corps create connections for youth with adults with disabilities, as well as other youth volunteers. YO! Volunteer Corps members earn a stipend every month.

Meet a YO! Volunteer…

I am a queer and self-identified disabled performer working to bring greater accessibility to the performing arts and challenging society's perceptions of persons with disabilities. I have worked with numerous disability awareness groups such as the P.R.I.D.E (Promoting Rights of Individuals with Disabilities Everywhere) group on my college campus where I served two years as President as well as serving as the Social Media and Advocacy and Legislative Chairs for Blind LGBT Pride International for three years. I currently advise on the creation and implementation of audio description, touch tours, captions, sign language interpretation, wheelchair access and attention to a wide range of access considerations for live performance. This is not only necessary to make performances accessible to people with disabilities, but also beneficial for everyone involved. As a performer who is blind, I hope to challenge questions of perception, identity, possibility and the creative process. I hold a BA in Theatre with a minor in Psychology from Adrian College in Adrian Michigan and have studied Shakespeare at the University of Oxford. I attend many events at the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco and am a recent graduate of the Hatlen Center for the Blind. I am a passionate, outgoing and dedicated person. I am ready to educate others, be a positive and encouraging face and to advocate. I want to connect with and empower others in the disability movement to strive to make positive change in the wider community. I am new to California, so I hope to connect to the larger disability community and learn from those with differing stories from myself. I love to challenge myself and those around me through learning and trying new things. I enjoy public speaking, volunteering and being a part of something bigger than myself. As a member of the YAC, I hope to gain valuable hands-on experience in helping the disability community in California and beyond. I love to take what I have learned and question my ideals to deeply examine my choices and relationship to ableism and many other systemic social issues in order to help become the most well-rounded person possible.

Youth Advisory Council (YO! YAC) Tiffany California Foundation for Independent Living Centers – Sacramento, CA

Youth Advisory Council

The YO! YAC is made up of 7 - 9 youth with disabilities across the state ranging in age from 16 - 28 that are familiar with the YO! program and want to use their leadership skills to make it even better. The YO! YAC provides valuable input on policy issues, community organizing campaigns and program priorities. They met at least once a quarter by phone or webinar and occasionally in-person. Youth are are interested are encouraged to apply.

Armand

Priscilla

Sara

Tiffany

Alexa

Ian

Alise

Youth Volunteer Corps

The YO! Volunteer Corps consist of 9 youth volunteers who work in local independent living centers in their community. YO! Volunteer Corps commit to at least 16 hours of work a month and receive a $100 stipend each month. Volunteer Corps members work for a minimum of 6-12 months at their placement site. Volunteer Corps members work on a variety of tasks, including YO! Organizing campaigns, in their local communities.

Youth can apply at any time to be a YO! Volunteer Corps member. However, placements are limited to funding and site availability.

Cami

Zofia

Youth Action Team

Youth are encouraged to volunteer for a YO! organizing campaign, working in their local communities. There is no time commitment and the amount of time spent on campaigns varies for each organizer. Campaign organizers do not receive a stipend. Meetings for each campaign are held by teleconference in afternoons or on weekends. These provide a chance to connect with youth from around the state! Each participant can do as little or as much as they want to support a YO! campaign, but everyone is involved in advancing the campaign in some way.

Currently, we have nearly 30 organizers working on the Taking Action for Accommodations campaign and 25 working on the Disability History Week campaign.

If you are interested in working on a campaign, please contact a youth advocate.