Basically Blind

Belonging is a term commonly used alongside Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Brene Brown has said, "The opposite of belong, from the research, is fitting in. Fitting in is assessing and acclimating: 'Here's what I should say, or be, here's what I shouldn't say and avoid talking about. That's fitting in. Belonging is belonging to yourself first." Avery reflects on the many ways she's tried to diminish having a disability to make others more comfortable over the years. Becoming confident about what makes you different doesn't happen overnight, but there is no reason someone can't start working toward it today.

It is important for people to be trailblazers and break into spaces where someone with their identity hasn't had access to before, but there is a significant burden that falls on people who are the first. Avery talks about her own experiences with this and gives tips on how to be an ally.

Society is taking diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) more seriously than ever before. We've made huge strides, but there is a long way to go. There are still so many instances when people can feel like they don't belong. Avery reflects on how isolating it can feel to exist in spaces where you're the only person with a certain identity.

The Hate U Give follows Starr Carter, a black teenager who leads two separate lives. There is the version of herself for Garden Heights, the predominantly black neighborhood she calls home, and another version of herself that exists at the mostly white prep school she attends in an affluent suburb. After witnessing her childhood friend being killed by a police officer during a traffic stop, Starr's two worlds collide. She is forced to confront the privilege and prejudice of her classmates and has to reevaluate relationships with others and herself. Avery recaps the main plot points and themes around diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility that appear in the movie. 

• Between the World and Me  by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• 13th
• The Hate U Give
• I Am Not Your Negro
• If Beale Street Could Talk

• The Wire
• Insecure
• Abbott Elementary

Sure, dating can be fun, but as Olivia Rodrigo would say, "God, it's brutal out here." Add on a historically marginalized identity like having a disability, and the dating world can be an even trickier space to navigate. Avery opens up and reflects on her dating life and how being legally blind impacted it. She reminds people that even if society or "friends" say you should settle, you deserve to find your ideal partner just as much as anyone else.

Setting boundaries can be difficult for everyone, but it gets even trickier when you move through life with an identity that society views as having less power. The need to be liked and seen as capable seems even more important when you're in that position. Avery talks about how she's struggled with this and how leveraging the word "no" has changed things for her.

The Social Model of Disability is the belief that people with disabilities aren't at a disadvantage due to their disability but due to barriers created by society and environments. Avery speaks on this and refers to how this YouTube video cleverly shows how the Social Model of Disability works.

Job hunting is exhausting. In a perfect world, all companies would value diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Unfortunately, that's not the case, and the burden of evaluating how inclusive a company is falls on the job seeker. Avery goes over tips on how to find a company and manager that values DEIA.