Written by Yeshi
Yeshi was an intern with Aiding Dramatic Change in Development in 2018. He helped create this website and filmed Imagining Possibilities workshops activities.
My internship experience
My journey with Imagining Possibilities started in the early summer of 2018. At the time, I was searching various job sites for an internship. In the beginning, I was interested in the summer internship position at Imagining Possibilities because of the vast learning potential with regards to marketing, design, and non-profit work. After Imagining Possibilities offered me the position, they asked me to create a website and various digital work for their organization.
However, in order to build a website that represented all the work Imagining Possibilities does, I had to attend various Imagining Possibilities workshops and events to get a firsthand look at what they offer. During the workshops, I was also able to meet the leadership team. The Imagining Possibilities leadership team is a growing community of AAC users who work together to create stories through the use of fabric and envisioned scenography. Additionally, they commit time to mentoring young AAC users and helping to organize the Come to the Edge Show.
Meeting the Team
Previously, I came from a marketing, design, and fine arts background. Consequently, I had no prior experience or knowledge of Cerebral Palsy (CP) or Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC).
Therefore, the workshops helped to educate me and to combat all the prior misconceptions I had about CP. Originally, I generalized CP to include development issues. However, talking to Laura, a Toronto leader, and asking her questions like what is her favourite colour completely changed my perception of CP. Thus, Christine, Laura, Gab, and Irene showed me they were completely aware of their surroundings and what I was saying. The only difference, however, was that they communicate non-verbally. When I asked Laura about her favourite colour, she pointed at her black shirt. I asked her if it was black, and she nodded and smiled. This was a big moment for me at that time.
Other Interesting Moments
There were many other memorable moments during my internship at Imagining Possibilities. One of them was when I attended the mini Come to the Edge Show held in Hamilton. Leaders from all over Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catherine’s also attended the performance. The performance showcased all the work involved in the movement of inclusivity through creativity.
After the performance, Elaine, a Toronto leader, asked me various questions about what school I go to, and what I was studying. When she finished asking me questions, she used her letter board to spell welcome and shook my hand. I was very touched by the gesture, and it consequently made me feel apart of the movement.
Furthermore, I attended the first ever youth workshop, which was another great experience. It was great to see Calum, an 11-year-old AAC user, grow from being a shy and passive workshop participant into an active agent, and contributing his creativity to the story-making process. In conclusion, my time at Imagining Possibilities was a rewarding experience and it was great to partake in projects that help shift popular perceptions of people who use AAC. Through engaging in artistic collaboration with their peers and expressing their unique ideas, stories and identity through performance, they are pushing the movement of inclusivity through creativity.
Instagram images
Written by Yeshi
Yeshi was an intern with Aiding Dramatic Change in Development in 2018. He helped design and develop the Imagining Possibilities website and filmed some workshops activities.