At the core of INCIGHT’s efforts is the mission to change hearts and minds about societal views on disability. This ideal is embodied by an INCIGHT Scholar, who is an emerging leader in the field of disability advocacy. Scholar Jada Yang stands out for her commitment and leadership on campus at UC Berkeley. Jada is currently in her sophomore year, engaged in studies focused on public health, disabilities, and policy. Her academic pursuits align closely with her professional aspirations and she intends to build a career in public policy and disability rights.
Demonstrating initiative beyond the classroom, Jada is representing the interests of students with disabilities within the UC Berkeley Student Government. Serving as a Student Senator in the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), Jada advocates for meaningful change and inclusion on her campus. Jada, who has cerebral palsy, highlights the richness and diversity of the disabled community, noting, “The disabled community is so vast and diverse and yet we’re so similar on the issues we face, whether it be stigma or accessibility.” She finds her work deeply rewarding and especially crucial when sometimes she is “the disabled community representative in the room.”
Historically speaking, UC Berkeley has been very involved in the disability rights movement and the school works to promote inclusion in many ways. In her first year, Jada worked at the Disability Cultural Community Center on the UC Berkeley campus, the only one of its kind within the UC system. It serves as a center to build community among the disabled students. As a student staff member, Jada gained experience and connected with numerous people. In a collaboration between Berkeley and UCLA, Jada participated in discussions promoting strategies and solutions across UC campuses.
Jada has a passion for promoting inclusion and creating community. She explained, “changing hearts and minds comes from awareness of the different issues …through community and coalition building and… going beyond compliance.” When thinking about compliance, she shared a compelling perspective, “a lot of people don’t really see the full effect or impact, or they…see it as a nuisance.” She went on to explain that this negative view might change when you understand the ‘Curb Cut Effect’ which means that when something is made more accessible for one person it can benefit everyone. Curb cuts were actually created by students at UC Berkeley in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
Jada reflected on past progress and the challenges ahead, emphasizing, “We have so much work to do…while buildings are ADA-compliant, are they really accessible? A lot of things may be compliant, but we still need to improve and be creative and innovative.” Jada stressed the importance of ensuring that all people feel included, welcomed and accepted in their environments. She concluded with a thoughtful formula: (1) think beyond compliance, (2) be creative with our solutions, and (3) include community voices.
We are proud to say Jada Yang is an INCIGHT Scholar. When speaking about her experience in the INCIGHT Scholarship Program, Jada said, “It’s really great to build a community, and learn from a community, and I am constantly amazed at hearing everyone’s stories. I love the INCIGHT program.” Her dedication and openness to learning from others exemplify the vision she brings to her work. Through collaboration and innovative thinking, Jada promotes inclusive solutions for the future.
