At the Students with Disability luncheon this past Tuesday, May 23, Alyssa Montminy said “When I think about my time as an adult I often think about diagnosis, life stages, and where I was.”

The event—that comes with free lunch for attendees—is part of a series planned by Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to inspire students and faculty by sharing the stories of community members.

Stages of diagnosis

Alyssa described her series of diagnoses—first, the depression that was diagnosed in college, then the postpartum depression she experienced after each of her two boys (Bentley and Finley). While she anticipated having children would be hard, she said “I was woefully underprepared for how severe that situation would be.”

Most recently, “through TikTok I realized I had ADHD. And the boys had it too.” They worked through the formal diagnostic process together. Alyssa shared that women typically get diagnosed later in life, because the research on the condition was all conducted on young white boys like her sons.

As Alyssa’s children grew, she discovered her anxiety was something more and received an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) diagnosis. She learned OCD does not always fit into the stereotypes, and that the compulsive rituals around her anxiety was enough to qualify her for the diagnosis, despite her consistently messy desk.

She said, “It doesn’t get better… there’s not a magic wand. We find ways to overcome. We do get stronger.”

Being brave in self-advocacy

Because stereotypes about mental health don’t always align with reality, Alyssa has found that doing research and hearing the experiences of others can be helpful information in looking for a solution. As she put it, “Sometimes Googling symptoms is a good idea.”

That information can help you be an advocate for yourself. Alyssa has asked for accommodations like cross-stitching during meetings.

“Sometimes it’s really scary,” she said. “Sometimes I tell myself that I have pink hair and people with pink hair are not afraid of standing up for themselves.”

She recommended finding community in your workspace so that you can advocate together, instead of being alone.

Quick Self-Care Tools

Alyssa passed out flyers with self-care tips.

54321 method

This grounding method engages the 5 senses of your body to keep you in the present moment. It is a type of mindfulness that is helpful in stopping anxiety or panic in the moment. The steps are:

1. 5 things you can see: Look around and name 5 things that you see.
2. 4 things you can touch: Touch 4 different textures.
3. 3 things you can hear: Identify 3 different sounds around you.
4. 2 things you can smell: Identify 2 things you can smell around or on you.
5. 1 thing you can taste: Either identify the taste currently in your mouth, or try a drink or food item.

Breathing exercises

Breathing is a quick way to ground yourself, calm down and relax your body and mind. When doing any breathing exercise, focus on breathing from your diaphragm.

1. Flower/bubble breathing: Take a slow deep breath in like you are inhaling the scent of your favorite flower. Hold that for a few moments then slowly blow out the air like you are trying to blow soap bubbles. When you exhale for longer than you inhaled, your body has an automatic relaxation response.
2. Square Breathing: Breathe in for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 4, breathe out for a count of 4 and hold your breath for a count of 4.

Other ways to take care of yourself

1. Journaling: Take just 5-10 minutes a day to write down whatever comes to mind. It doesn’t have to make sense or go together. Just write whatever comes to mind.
2. Find comfort: Drinking warm tea, eating comforting foods or surrounding yourself with comforting items such as blankets can calm your nervous system.
3. Keep a routine: Try to maintain a daily routine that includes waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, eating regular meals and snacks, moving your body and completing daily tasks.
4. Take mindful walks: Movement can help you get rid of stress hormones, clear your mind and focus on the moment.
5. Listen to music: Music can help relieve stress, calm you down or connect you to something that you have been missing.
6. Find community: Connect with others that understand what you are going through. Eat together, go on walks or just share space while you do something comforting.

Next Luncheon

The Queer Student Luncheon will be held June 3, 12–1 p.m.

Clark College Disability Access Center

Location on main campus: Penguin Union Building (PUB) 013
Web: https://www.clark.edu/dac
Main phone: 360-992-2314
Video phone for ASL: 360-991-0901
Email: dac@clark.edu

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Zach Lattin, Clark College’s IT accessibility coordinator, engaged the audience with his thought-provoking presentation (including playing his guitar!) at the winter Students with Disabilities Luncheon on March 6. Hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the free, public event provided both meaningful conversation and a delicious free lunch. This time, students from the small-group communications class served the food.

Lattin, who tests software for accessibility standards and teaches students how to use assistive devices, spoke plainly about the advances and challenges of making a college education accessible for all.  

Drawing from his own experiences navigating accessibility challenges as a student at the University of Washington, Lattin emphasized the importance of equitable access in higher education.

He said, “I didn’t always have access at UW.”

Pushing Back on Inspiration Porn

Lattin discussed how historically, the stories of people with disabilities have been used for “inspiration porn”—a term coined by disability activists Stella Young and Lydia X. Brown.  

The three types of “inspiration” stories identified as “inspiration porn” include:

• Disabled person does something extraordinary, and it’s presented as inspiring because the person is disabled, not because 99% of the general population could not have achieved it.
• Disabled person does something mundane, and it’s presented as inspiring because it’s assumed disabled people are incapable of doing anything at all.
• Disabled person does something not overtly negative to disabled person, and it’s presented as inspiring because it’s supposedly magnanimous and saint-like to be nice to someone with a disability.

He said, “It’s about framing how our stories are told… If a story of yours is being framed in one of those three ways, feel free to push back on it.”

Understanding Models of Disability

Lattin discussed the issues with the charity model of disability and the medical model of disability, and talked about why we should push toward the social model of disability.

• In the charity model, people with disabilities are treated as objects of charity and pity.
• In the medical model, people with disabilities are viewed as sick with a need to be cured.
• Meanwhile, the social model focuses on how systemic and environmental issues create the primary barrier to success for people who are disabled.

On the social model, he said, “I personally believe this is what we should be moving towards.”

Lattin added, “I personally do not view my blindness as something to be cured. I see it as a lifestyle, a way that I exist, and part of my identity.”

Challenging Assumptions

To illustrate the importance of social models of disability, Lattin shared a story about his team testing the accessibility of automotive software in Clark’s mechanic shop. He asked the luncheon attendees what percent of the software they thought was accessible.

The guesses were similar: “None! Five percent!”

Surprisingly, Lattin said, the software was 95% accessible. “This tells me that the barriers to access for automotive are not technology—it’s other barriers.” It challenged even his own assumptions.

He used to have techno-utopian attitudes, believing that technology would solve access problems. But now he believes “we need to be doing more than solving problems with technology… We need to address systemic barriers.”

Ending on a High Note

Lattin gave a mini concert, playing his guitar and singing an original song. Laughing, Lattin explained the song was written for two folks on a bus who, speaking in Spanish, thought he couldn’t understand them when they said demeaning things about his disability. When they both arrived at the courthouse, they found out that Lattin would be their translator.

Further Reading

Lattin suggested multiple texts for further reading, including:

• “Disabled people are not your feel-good back-pats” by Lydia X. Z. Brown
• Models of Disability Tip Sheet from Mobility International

Connect with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI):

• In-person: Diversity Center, Gaiser Hall 214
• Phone: 360-992-2292
• Email: diversity@clark.edu
• Website: www.clark.edu/cc/diversity

Photos: Clark College/Carly Rae Zent