Derek I. Schmitz

Reflections on the CAPE-Youth Working Group December Conference

12/22/202112/22/2021 Derek I. Schmitz

Hey y’all, it’s Derek again! I am back after an eventful three days in California to discuss my experiences and some of the policies I was newly introduced to! Day 1: A Rocky Start with a Great Ending Day 1 got off to a rocky start with an early flight out of the Atlanta airport.… Continue reading Reflections on the CAPE-Youth Working Group December Conference

Being Offered a Seat at the Table as a Young Disability Advocate

12/02/202102/17/2022 Derek I. Schmitz

My name is Derek. I’m a 17-year-old non-binary, queer disabled advocate. I’ve had cerebral palsy (what I like to refer to as floppy muscles) since I was born, so I’ve always been disabled. I’ve also recently been diagnosed with spondyloarthritis and a couple of other autoimmune conditions (commonly referred to as my angry joints). These… Continue reading Being Offered a Seat at the Table as a Young Disability Advocate

Two New Positions!

10/30/202110/30/2021 Derek I. Schmitz

Hey y'all, Derek here! I'm overjoyed to announce I have accepted positions within two different organizations in the past few days! Firstly, I applied and was selected for a position within the Council of State Governments Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth Working Group! I will be working with ten other young disabled… Continue reading Two New Positions!

My Journey to Disability Pride

07/31/202108/01/2021 Derek I. Schmitz2 Comments

Hey y'all! I really want to get back into the swing of long-form personal blog posts, so this'll be one of my first attempts at that in a while. July is Disability Pride Month. I know my piece is a bit late (it's July 31 as I'm putting finishing touches on it and posting it),… Continue reading My Journey to Disability Pride

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: