Ed Roberts

VIDEO Strategies for Social Change: Ed Roberts speaks at first meeting of Partners in Policymaking .

This is all Ed Roberts’ fault!

Ed Roberts was a civil rights leader for people with disabilities who was called a “prophet for independence.” He challenged each of us to be extraordinary.

This could be Chris Brogan’s fault!

Chris Brogan is a socially conscious social media guru with thousands of readers. He recently challenged his readers to use the oldest form of exchange–barter. Bartering in a Digital Age is about finding a way to get the services or goods you need. No excuses. If you can’t afford or don’t know how to do something, barter.

It’s the MN DD Planning Council’s fault!

The Minnesota Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Planning Council has been documenting the paradigm pioneers in the History of People with Disabilities for over a decade. Parallels in Time I and Parallels in Time II.

Since most history books ignore people with disabilities, these are important historical videos.

Okay, it’s my own fault!

I contacted the MN DD Planning Council and asked if any of their videos were in shorter segments. Dr. Colleen Wieck, the director said she “wished,” but there were no resources to edit or transfer the videos to YouTube.

I knew blog readers want short video segments, so there was the problem.

So now, Ed Roberts meet Chris Brogan meet MN DD Planning Council meet… er, me…meet YOU.

WE NEED YOU

Do you have the technological skills to edit videos like the Ed Roberts video (above) into three or four, 1-5 minute segments?

Could you help us post them on YouTube and the Parallels in Time website?

If you could help us with just one video, that would be significant.

In exchange, you choose a job for me, from the list below.

Let’s Make a Deal

EXCHANGE—an hour for an hour, my services for up to 50 hours.

NO MONEY will be exchanged.

How Can I Help?

I’ve have experience working with individuals and families. I could consult with you by phone (in US) or email. (Check out my “About” page.)

I’m a decent Beta Reader and developmental editor. If you have a novel or ebook sitting in your closet, I can help.

I could ghost write a blog post, review a book or education/teaching product.

I could research a topic (of your choice).

Any other idea we mutually agree on.

Disclaimer: I’ll give you my best, but no guarantees. I can’t cure anyone.

FOR THE SKEPTICS

This is a labor of love. I’m volunteering, no financial gain. Many of the people in the videos were friends or colleagues, many are now gone, but their vision lives.

This is important work. It’s been a long road for people with disabilities and their families, we need to keep moving forward.

Even if you don’t have a family member with a disability, there are good reasons to get involved.

We have knowledge and experience in quality of life issues and long-term care that will help Baby Boomers, seniors and others who are in the “temporarily able bodied” or yet to be disabled” group Ed Roberts spoke about:

“We’re all getting older. We can’t avoid it, can we? I look around, and I notice that a lot of us are getting gray. As we get older, we realize that disability is just a part of life. Anyone can join our group at any point in life. In this way, the Disability Rights Movement doesn’t discriminate. As those of us who are temporarily able-bodied and working for access and accommodations now get older, the changes we make now will benefit us as well.”

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you are interested: FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. You get to pick the video you will work on.

1. Go to: Parallels in Time II videos or the Ed Roberts Memorial site.

2. Choose a video you would like to edit into three or four, 1-5 minute segments. (I can help you pick out the segments, or you can choose what you think is the most powerful.)

3. Email me at [email protected] and we’ll mutually decide the barter exchange.

4. We both get to work. Deadline March 1st.

Watch Our Progress

Every Friday, I’ll post how things are going. If this is not a good time for you, but you know of someone who might be able to help with this project, please forward this information.

All prayers and best wishes welcome.

Keep Climbing: Onward and Upward

All my best,

Mary

Comments:

If you have questions you think would be helpful to the group, please ask here. Otherwise, contact me privately.

What do you think? Will the barter system work? Will these edited videos help spread our message of independence, interdependence and inclusion?

Can you help us, and as Ed would say, “Be Extraordinary?”