The First Course Is Drafted

When I wrote “Why a School Comes First,” I said belief has to come before roles. That people have to remember they can contribute before they can be asked to.

Since then, we drafted the first course.

Five short lessons. One idea running through them: there was never one right way to learn. There was just one way schools treated as universal, and when it didn’t fit us, the blame landed on us instead of on the method.

The first lesson starts with note-taking, because that’s the method everyone was handed without question. The rest walk through what note-taking was really asking of us, the other ways in, and why finding your own way is the actual learning.

It’s a draft. A few of us wrote it, and most of us are blind, with disabilities that stack.

Here’s what I want you to know, whether you end up building this or not: the point of this course is confidence. The point is that you realize you can learn and you can contribute. It doesn’t matter whether that happens because you helped build the course or because you took it when it was done. Both count.

If you want to help build, we need you. Sighted input on how things look. Technical help with the platform. People who know curriculum and design. Someone who knows nonprofits, because we’ll need to start one before long. Allies can carry the work. Multiply disabled people keep deciding what gets built.

If you don’t have the time or energy to build, that’s fine. This course is for you. Take it when it’s done.

If you just want to be around people who get it, with no obligation to learn or build anything, that’s enough too.

The Slack is where the building happens, and you’re welcome to join it. Here’s the invite: https://join.slack.com/t/multabilities/shared_invite/zt-4e94wb61d-hEFe~bkCXd8Fll2fLRiJ3A. That link expires, so if it’s stopped working by the time you read this, email me and I’ll send you a fresh one. Joining the Slack means you’ll see the course taking shape. If you’d rather meet it fresh when it’s done, the other groups are for that.

You don’t have to commit. You don’t have to perform. You don’t have to prove you belong.

Come as you are. Come at whatever level makes sense for your body, your energy, your life. Every community link is at lanie.work/connect. Email me at [email protected] if that’s easier.