00:00:00:01 - 00:00:01:26 I'm recording this in advance, as you know, 00:00:01:26 - 00:00:05:25 but I'm guessing that the Live Q&A time we just had was probably not long enough 00:00:06:11 - 00:00:09:06 given all that was covered in Part 3. 00:00:09:06 - 00:00:12:11 I think that's the nature of a topic worth 00:00:12:11 - 00:00:16:04 investing in, that we run out of time before all questions can be answered. 00:00:17:22 - 00:00:21:25 I have at least initially turned on the comment section 00:00:22:05 - 00:00:25:09 on the website for this presentation. 00:00:25:09 - 00:00:27:29 If you're watching this video at a later date, 00:00:27:29 - 00:00:31:03 I may have turned off the comment section by that time. 00:00:31:11 - 00:00:35:08 But for those of us who live now at the conference, for at least a week, 00:00:35:27 - 00:00:38:09 I will leave the comment section open. 00:00:38:24 - 00:00:42:05 And I'm doing that for those questions 00:00:42:05 - 00:00:45:05 that didn't get answered in the Live Q&A time. 00:00:45:14 - 00:00:48:27 If you'd like me to respond, go ahead and ask me on there and I'll reply. 00:00:50:23 - 00:00:51:09 All right... 00:00:52:17 - 00:00:54:10 So Part 4, 00:00:54:10 - 00:00:58:18 where the learning objective is to assess spiritual support needs in a setting 00:00:58:18 - 00:01:01:10 where access and accommodations are not prioritized. 00:01:02:17 - 00:01:05:11 As it turns out, I kind of addressed this goal 00:01:05:11 - 00:01:08:11 in the previous section, right? 00:01:08:18 - 00:01:10:22 I'm also literally not aware 00:01:10:22 - 00:01:15:19 of any public educational or healthcare setting in which access is a priority. 00:01:15:24 - 00:01:16:14 I mean, 00:01:17:22 - 00:01:18:25 there are 00:01:19:28 - 00:01:21:26 intentional sort of disability 00:01:21:26 - 00:01:24:25 justice spaces, but those are those are islands. 00:01:26:01 - 00:01:30:19 For pretty much everywhere else, access is not prioritized. 00:01:30:19 - 00:01:33:08 And assessing spiritual support needs 00:01:33:08 - 00:01:36:19 is about justice, which is access, which is solidarity. 00:01:37:12 - 00:01:38:12 And you know what? 00:01:38:12 - 00:01:43:04 It sometimes seems so complicated, but it's not. 00:01:43:04 - 00:01:47:12 Whatever anyone's bodymind 00:01:47:19 - 00:01:50:11 needs, that's just something they need. 00:01:50:11 - 00:01:54:11 By the way, you know the word "bodymind" if that hasn't come up, it's a real word. 00:01:54:11 - 00:01:55:17 And I encourage you to use it. 00:01:55:17 - 00:01:58:16 It's just body and mind as one thing: bodymind. 00:01:59:09 - 00:02:01:28 Google it for more information about it, but it's really useful. 00:02:03:22 - 00:02:04:05 And whatever 00:02:04:05 - 00:02:07:24 anyone's bodymind needs, they just get to have that need. 00:02:07:24 - 00:02:08:14 And it's okay. 00:02:08:14 - 00:02:12:00 And they don't have to apologize for having needs. 00:02:12:18 - 00:02:14:09 I'm sure you've known people to say that before. 00:02:14:09 - 00:02:17:29 And if you can, if it hasn't been you saying it, 00:02:22:20 - 00:02:23:29 imagine sort of having that experience... 00:02:23:29 - 00:02:24:19 You know? 00:02:27:26 - 00:02:30:03 Being blind and saying, "I'm sorry I'm blind, 00:02:31:10 - 00:02:34:05 but can you please read this to me?" or something like that. 00:02:34:05 - 00:02:36:07 What? 00:02:36:07 - 00:02:39:29 If you need extra reminders because your bodymind has dementia, 00:02:40:16 - 00:02:43:05 then you need extra reminders, and one of us who is good at 00:02:43:05 - 00:02:46:08 that will do it. 00:02:46:14 - 00:02:47:28 If you need to fidget 00:02:47:28 - 00:02:51:12 in order to listen then fidget because we want you here. 00:02:52:11 - 00:02:53:11 It's all 00:02:53:28 - 00:02:56:06 socialization and norms 00:02:56:16 - 00:02:58:29 that tell us what's appropriate behavior. 00:02:59:24 - 00:03:01:16 And a lot of those norms are ableist. 00:03:03:25 - 00:03:04:01 If you 00:03:04:01 - 00:03:07:26 need to get up and stretch your legs or use facilities because 90 minute 00:03:07:26 - 00:03:10:22 workshops are kind of long, you get to do that. 00:03:12:14 - 00:03:15:05 It really is a more western, capitalistic, 00:03:15:20 - 00:03:19:17 ableist social order that we even frame 00:03:19:17 - 00:03:22:25 people's needs as or characterize them as like burdens 00:03:23:13 - 00:03:26:17 rather than as opportunities for generative things. 00:03:26:25 - 00:03:29:19 And you know what? With accessibility, 00:03:29:19 - 00:03:32:06 that's the spiritual care, 00:03:32:06 - 00:03:35:21 because we're talking about interdependence. 00:03:36:13 - 00:03:38:23 How we respond to someone's needs 00:03:39:10 - 00:03:42:26 can either lead to public shame 00:03:42:26 - 00:03:45:27 or it can present an opportunity for caring. 00:03:47:05 - 00:03:49:22 Honoring our interdependence 00:03:49:22 - 00:03:53:09 is potentially transformative, and we miss all of that... 00:03:54:22 - 00:03:57:02 relatedness, 00:03:57:23 - 00:03:59:22 by dismissing needs as burdens 00:03:59:22 - 00:04:02:12 rather than recognizing them as opportunities. 00:04:05:24 - 00:04:08:21 I really think that's the true thing for spiritual care, and disability 00:04:08:21 - 00:04:13:16 justice, because when someone's access needs are not met that actually tells us 00:04:13:16 - 00:04:18:21 more about the setting or the environment than it does about the person. 00:04:19:04 - 00:04:20:14 It's less of an assessment 00:04:21:13 - 00:04:21:25 of the 00:04:21:25 - 00:04:24:28 individual and more of an environmental assessment. 00:04:27:01 - 00:04:28:28 When someone's access needs are not met, 00:04:28:28 - 00:04:32:03 we have failed them. 00:04:34:14 - 00:04:35:16 That's not an assessment of them. 00:04:35:16 - 00:04:37:28 That's an assessment of us. 00:04:39:08 - 00:04:41:14 So what can I do? 00:04:46:10 - 00:04:48:27 You can do absolutely everything 00:04:48:27 - 00:04:52:16 through an intersectional disability justice lens. 00:04:53:00 - 00:04:55:27 Remember way back when I said what I consider 00:04:55:27 - 00:04:59:03 to be the first question of disability justice work? 00:04:59:20 - 00:05:01:20 Always ask yourself: Who is not here? 00:05:03:01 - 00:05:05:26 That alone can keep you pretty busy. 00:05:05:26 - 00:05:07:29 And when people's access needs 00:05:07:29 - 00:05:10:17 are not prioritized, that tells us that 00:05:11:18 - 00:05:14:05 the folks with power, privilege 00:05:14:05 - 00:05:16:21 and established access 00:05:16:21 - 00:05:20:06 are not valuing so much the person whose access needs were not met. 00:05:21:24 - 00:05:25:21 Responding to that need, even if that means pointing some stuff 00:05:25:21 - 00:05:28:23 out, that's spiritual care. 00:05:29:28 - 00:05:31:18 For a simple example, check it out. 00:05:31:18 - 00:05:33:29 You know, I told you I can't recognize people by face, 00:05:34:26 - 00:05:38:15 and I told you how great it's been on Zoom because the people are labeled? 00:05:40:03 - 00:05:41:02 Well, look. 00:05:41:02 - 00:05:43:17 What if I go back to work face to face? 00:05:44:13 - 00:05:48:00 I've kind of enjoyed not being disabled in this way 00:05:49:11 - 00:05:52:20 for the past few years... 00:05:53:20 - 00:05:56:25 I still can't recognize people by face, but think about it. 00:05:57:05 - 00:05:58:04 Think about it. 00:05:58:04 - 00:06:01:04 Can you think of some way, 00:06:01:04 - 00:06:05:05 if I were to return to a face-to-face, in-person work environment, 00:06:06:13 - 00:06:11:14 how could people be visually labeled with their names? ... 00:06:11:14 - 00:06:13:17 Does such a thing exist? 00:06:13:23 - 00:06:17:04 Of course it does, because I thought about it every day for the past 26 months. 00:06:17:23 - 00:06:19:03 And you know what? Yeah. 00:06:19:03 - 00:06:23:05 If they value my participation, they could wear nametags! 00:06:27:23 - 00:06:30:01 Is that a burden? No. 00:06:30:01 - 00:06:32:19 It is an opportunity for something generative, 00:06:32:25 - 00:06:35:14 which I would experience as love. 00:06:35:14 - 00:06:36:02 I mean, 00:06:36:27 - 00:06:39:01 meet my access needs. 00:06:39:01 - 00:06:40:09 Don't meet my access needs. 00:06:40:09 - 00:06:43:04 Either way, it's a choice and it tells me what you value. 00:06:44:02 - 00:06:47:18 And it's chaplain work to be promoting institutional change 00:06:47:18 - 00:06:51:14 in ways that lead marginalized people to be treated right. 00:06:52:20 - 00:06:53:10 Definitely. 00:06:55:01 - 00:06:56:17 What else can you do? 00:06:56:18 - 00:07:00:09 You can give patients and staff and yourself as needed permission 00:07:00:09 - 00:07:03:21 to stop pretending we're independent and embrace our interdependence. 00:07:03:21 - 00:07:07:24 You can deal with the racism in the White disability communities, 00:07:07:24 - 00:07:11:09 if you're White and in those spaces. 00:07:11:09 - 00:07:13:17 You can address the ableism in every other justice 00:07:13:17 - 00:07:14:21 community. 00:07:17:12 - 00:07:20:24 You can make sure those most affected by policies are actually 00:07:20:24 - 00:07:24:04 at the helm of determining them, and not tokenized. 00:07:27:28 - 00:07:29:13 I think that's a good list. 00:07:29:13 - 00:07:31:13 If you get all that taken care of, let me know. 00:07:34:22 - 00:07:36:03 I have an idea. 00:07:36:09 - 00:07:38:29 This is quick, but it's going to make a point 00:07:39:07 - 00:07:41:28 and it's going to have you typing into the live thing in a minute, or in a moment. 00:07:42:08 - 00:07:42:19 I want you to 00:07:42:19 - 00:07:46:12 picture a corporate cafeteria somewhere like a hospital or a university 00:07:46:12 - 00:07:47:04 or your workplace. 00:07:48:22 - 00:07:49:21 And to help you visualize, 00:07:49:21 - 00:07:53:06 I've crammed three different cafeteria photos together on the present slide. 00:07:53:06 - 00:07:54:28 They're not meant to be showing anything special. 00:07:54:28 - 00:07:57:18 These are intended to be three generic cafeterias. 00:07:57:29 - 00:08:00:11 And here's the question for those of you who are sight-privileged: 00:08:00:25 - 00:08:03:01 Do you see any accommodations? 00:08:05:17 - 00:08:06:25 Do you see any accommodations? 00:08:06:25 - 00:08:11:07 Please use the Live Q&A now to respond and just type in either "no" 00:08:11:19 - 00:08:14:08 if you see none, or just briefly name whatever 00:08:14:08 - 00:08:17:17 accommodations you do see in the photos. 00:08:17:17 - 00:08:19:28 If you cannot see the photos, 00:08:19:28 - 00:08:23:14 these are meant to depict ordinary cafeterias and I'm not asking 00:08:23:14 - 00:08:26:25 about any unique things that any one corporation might have instituted, 00:08:27:12 - 00:08:30:08 but I'm seeking an overall take on today's cafeteria situation. 00:08:31:06 - 00:08:33:15 So I invite your participation about whether you see 00:08:33:15 - 00:08:36:22 any accommodations in any generic cafeteria, and 00:08:38:22 - 00:08:40:26 I'm telling you in a second, I'm going to tell you what I do see 00:08:41:22 - 00:08:44:11 in every cafeteria, and it's probably not 00:08:44:11 - 00:08:45:26 what you're thinking. 00:09:02:03 - 00:09:06:03 While you were answering, I promise I was reading your submissions live, 00:09:06:03 - 00:09:10:01 even though I cannot time travel back and put responses into this video. 00:09:10:29 - 00:09:13:02 Let me tell you what I see in these photos 00:09:13:02 - 00:09:15:01 and in every cafeteria... 00:09:16:29 - 00:09:18:03 There's a lot of chairs 00:09:18:03 - 00:09:20:16 provided at all the tables! 00:09:22:01 - 00:09:25:26 Why are all these chairs provided? 00:09:27:28 - 00:09:28:21 Hang in with this. 00:09:28:21 - 00:09:31:23 This isn't long but it's a good one. 00:09:32:14 - 00:09:35:01 Why does the institution provide these chairs? 00:09:35:20 - 00:09:38:19 Is it because people who walk 00:09:40:29 - 00:09:43:09 tend to get tired from walking and standing, 00:09:44:22 - 00:09:47:16 so that while they're eating their lunch, they want to sit down in order 00:09:47:16 - 00:09:51:13 to rest their tired walking legs? 00:09:53:24 - 00:09:55:00 And even though they 00:09:55:00 - 00:10:00:18 need to rest their weary walking legs, approximately zero such walkers 00:10:00:23 - 00:10:04:10 will ever bring their own chairs to the cafeteria to meet their own 00:10:04:10 - 00:10:05:14 needs? 00:10:09:03 - 00:10:11:08 Leg fatigue has nothing to do with food, 00:10:12:04 - 00:10:15:19 but you mean the institution just pays for all these chairs, 00:10:16:10 - 00:10:19:18 to support the rest and recovery of the weary legs of the walkers? 00:10:20:04 - 00:10:21:21 Do I have that right? 00:10:22:20 - 00:10:23:12 I mean, 00:10:24:19 - 00:10:27:03 can these institutions just not provide chairs? 00:10:27:24 - 00:10:30:00 Would that be acceptable? 00:10:37:00 - 00:10:41:15 I wish I could hear your reactions, but if you've never thought 00:10:41:15 - 00:10:46:02 of cafeteria chairs in this way, that is because 00:10:46:02 - 00:10:49:04 of ableist social norms 00:10:49:20 - 00:10:54:28 that lead you to believe that certain bodyminds unequivocally 00:10:55:14 - 00:11:00:13 deserve care and support, and certain other bodyminds are a burden 00:11:00:24 - 00:11:05:06 and a nuisance and something we can ignore and certainly do not have to address 00:11:05:06 - 00:11:05:27 in our budget. 00:11:09:03 - 00:11:11:26 The irony with the cafeteria chair thing is that to be wheelchair 00:11:11:26 - 00:11:14:07 accessible, for example, they basically remove a chair. 00:11:14:08 - 00:11:17:03 It's cheaper to not buy that chair, 00:11:17:18 - 00:11:20:01 and it costs nothing. 00:11:21:04 - 00:11:23:27 But it's done for disabled people, so even that is viewed 00:11:23:27 - 00:11:26:16 as a burden to the institution and an accomplishment. 00:11:27:20 - 00:11:30:22 We have been socialized to privilege 00:11:31:05 - 00:11:34:07 non-disabled experiences 00:11:35:03 - 00:11:35:15 and needs. 00:11:35:15 - 00:11:38:19 And disability justice challenges our socialization. 00:11:39:18 - 00:11:42:20 Everything, everything everything 00:11:42:20 - 00:11:44:23 we observe reflects underlying policy, 00:11:45:02 - 00:11:47:22 and these policies represent the institution's values. 00:11:48:04 - 00:11:50:05 And we feel that. 00:11:53:05 - 00:11:55:12 Spiritual care should tend to the pain point 00:11:56:24 - 00:12:00:16 and challenge those who make the policies to make better ones 00:12:00:19 - 00:12:02:20 that recognized everyone's humanity. 00:12:07:06 - 00:12:09:19 The image on this slide is the speaker 00:12:10:03 - 00:12:15:13 showing the words printed on her hoodie that read "Access is solidarity 00:12:15:13 - 00:12:19:27 is disability justice is love." As spiritual care providers and educators, 00:12:20:11 - 00:12:23:25 you have an important role in the well-being of many people. 00:12:24:23 - 00:12:26:11 Don't accept ableism. 00:12:27:14 - 00:12:29:12 Always ask who isn't here 00:12:29:12 - 00:12:32:01 and then respond to what you learn about yourselves. 00:12:33:16 - 00:12:35:27 And insist that your setting 00:12:35:27 - 00:12:40:00 become a place that does prioritize access where everyone deserves to be cared 00:12:40:00 - 00:12:42:22 for because of who they are, not in spite of it. 00:12:44:24 - 00:12:45:07 Thank you.