‘If you can’t find it, become it’

Winnipeg

When Ava May says that she’s speaking for those who cannot, she means it both literally and figuratively.

The new ambassador for Manitoba Possible is deaf and, as a deaf person who can speak aloud, she hopes to uplift the voices of those whose voices have been dampened or outright excluded by those who can’t understand them.

Every one or two years, Manitoba Possible elects a small group of new ambassadors, of varying ages and experience, to help represent the organization at events, in the media and in the workplace. May is one of three new ambassadors for the non-profit organization, which provides resources, programming and advocacy for Winnipeggers living with disabilities.

According to Lindsey Cooke, Manitoba Possible’s CEO, the goal is to lessen the attitude and stigma surrounding those with disabilities, while uplifting the ambassadors’ voices.

“We generally are looking for people who … have a passion for accessibility and inclusion,” she said. Ambassadors are generally comfortable speaking in front of large groups and having their voice being in the news.

Cooke said it’s important for Manitoba Possible to have visible faces and names to attach to the cause, as it helps to educate able-bodied folks with real, raw experiences.

May is just that — someone tells it like it is and, at 19, she recognizes the honour that comes with being in her position.

“The main reason why I wanted to be an ambassador is to be someone younger people can look up to,” she said, adding that, growing up as a deaf person, it was very rare to see anyone on TV or in the media who was like her.

“People say that if you’re looking for something and you can’t find it — become it,” she said.

While every ambassador shares the common goal of general advocacy for those living with disabilities, each brings a set of personal goals and interests they like to hone in on, Cooke said.

May is focused on the public school system and its treatment of students facing barriers, both visible and invisible, in the classroom.

“It’s not fair that we are — not ostracized, but in a way, kind of — because we are excluded,” she said. “People don’t realize that those little micro-aggressions — we see that. We know what you’re doing. Treat us like people, because we are people.”

May said she felt alienated from her classmates on a regular basis, when growing up — both by fellow students and teachers and administrators. It made things all the more difficult for someone who already knew she was different, she said.

She was also bullied, and could not communicate what was happening because teachers could not understand or did not believe her, she added. Even after she began to attend the Manitoba School for the Deaf, she continued to witness discrimination against deaf people, such as when a bus driver refused to speak to her teacher during a field trip because he needed an interpreter.

“To be a voice for other people whose voices are not being heard — it’s an honour,” May said.

Asked what able-bodied people could do to help improve the stigma, May replied simply: “Educate yourself.”

Reading books by disabled authors, looking into learning American Sign Language, and reading about how deafness, blindness, and similar disabilities actually work are great places to start.

“Don’t speak over disabled people,” she added. “Uplift them. Make sure their voices are heard. Disability is not linear, it’s a spectrum.”

Manitoba Possible hosts an annual ASL immersion program every July, and provides other support for deaf people living in Manitoba and their families.

For more information, visit manitobapossible.ca