This is so true. Resource persons aren't given their due unless they come with either the name of a big organization behind them or with recommendations from somebody just as important. Stories shared by individuals is considered giving their lives a voice, which in some cases takes strange turns. Exploitation in extreme cases? Will this ever change?
On 6/11/14, Sanchit Katiyar <katiyarsanchit...@gmail.com> wrote: > Don't expect me to work for free - Opinion - ABC Ramp Up > > People with disabilities are often asked to sit on committees, > contribute to projects and tell our stories. But, as Carly Findlay > writes, people are seldom willing to pay us for our time. > > I believe there is a sense of united empathy between diverse > communities, even if our difference is not the same. I find myself > nodding when I hear stories from my Indigenous and gay and lesbian > friends too. > > Back in March I saw my friend Anita Heiss speak at her book launch. > She's an Indigenous author - so smart, so funny and so beautiful. A > lot of what she said resonated with me. > > Anita addressed the 'working for free' mentality geared towards > diverse communities. "Everyone wants an Indigenous person to do > something, but they're not valued in the marketplace," she said. > > Anita told a story about how she had been asked to speak at a public > event. She sent her invoice, but the organisers asked to lower it as > they already give to charity. "I'm a small business, not a charity," > she said, and told them she would donate money to a charity if the > organisation's staff did the same. Cue gasps from the audience. > > I find this happens for disabled people too. Commitment to engaging > disabled people often comes without a fee, also even without > consideration that we must take time from our paid or voluntary jobs > to give this free advice. It's like we are given unpaid opportunities > as a gesture of inclusiveness, or worse, that our qualifications, > opinions and experience aren't worth money. > > There seems to be the belief that we should be grateful for > opportunities, that at least it's something for us to do. I feel > there's an expectation that because we educate incidentally in life, > we don't mind educating large audiences for a low fee or for free. > > Lawrence Carter-Long, American disability advocate, says "If you value > the insight and the skill set, the best way to show it is to pay for > what you're learning. Changing the world shouldn't require taking a > vow of poverty. I'm not a non-profit or NGO. Bottom line? If you value > what I'm bringing to you, then pay me. If you don't then that's a > clear indicator of what you think our community is worth." > > I recently consulted with two organisations for free - providing them > with firsthand information about living with a visible difference. I > spent five hours at one organisation and three at the other. I took > time off from my day job to do this work. I received a snack and a > drink from each, and a taxi fare, but no payment. > > I'm not ungrateful. I have a full time job with a good wage. I earn > money from freelance writing and speaking, plus teaching. And I do > work for free for charities and schools. I've done speaking events > where I've donated my speaker fee to causes I believe in. I've donated > time to a film project for organ donation. I've volunteered at the > hospital providing guidance to young people. I write without payment > for other bloggers and boutique online magazines. And I am proud and > committed to supporting these initiatives. > > But when I consult for a private or public organisation, I expect > payment. If a company asks me for advice on disability, especially > when they'd usually pay a consultant for their services, I expect to > be paid. Similarly, if a publication or organisation asks me to write > for them for free when they pay their staff to write, and if they > generate revenue, I want to be paid. I'd also like a link back to my > blog - especially if I've done work for free. > > Jax Jacki Brown, a disability activist with tertiary qualifications > and lived experience in disability, concurs. "There is this assumption > that people with disabilities don't live busy lives and that we should > be grateful for any opportunity to educate around these issues. And > while I am, and I take my educational work very seriously, it takes up > my time, travel and money to do it," she says. > > I believe the work that people like me and Jax do in educating people > is important in facilitating change and improving access and > inclusion, and it deserves compensation. Our work is not to be given > away for free. > > Carly Findlay is a writer, speaker and appearance activist. She blogs > at carlyfindlay.blogspot.com and tweets under @carlyfindlay. > > Source: > > http://www.abc.net.au/rampup/articles/2014/06/10/4022534.htm > > -- > With best regards, > Sanchit Katiyar. > > E-Mail: > katiyarsanchit...@gmail.com > > Skype ID: > sanchit.katiyar11 > > facebook: > http://www.facebook.com/sanchit.katiyar.5 > > Mobile: > +919013816320. > > > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
