InsideOut: Challenging 'life as we know it'

Life as we know it. It's a term used to start up sic-fi novels, generalize an undefinable aspect of human society, and shrug off a topic we'd prefer not to discuss. Life as we know it. But aside from our own, whose lives do we really know?

Disability Awareness Coordinator, Cassie Liviero, hopes to use her upcoming campaign with Student Accessibilty Services to address this question. Inspired by the television documentary series, "Life Story Project", the film campaign, entitled "Life as I know it", is set around creating an open environment for discussion, and allowing participants to express their thoughts and beliefs in a safe and welcoming space.

"It's a film and interview campaign. It involves students passing by on campus, sitting down for three to five minutes, and having genuine conversations on topics that affect us all. It comes from personal experiences… and as the narrative unfolds we see questions to do with disability, accessibility and perception," sys Liviero, relating the concept back to the principles and topics that shape SAS.

Some of the topics that will be used as discussion points include: inclusion, stereotyping, independence, values, recreation and leisure. In addition to these points, the notion of a "genuine conversation" is something that Liviero stresses during the interview. Unlike quick and easy conversations often said in passing, the campaign hopes to use this series of topics to engage participants and develop ideas full of depth and emotion.

"I found this type of approach has really become helpful, because it shows people that they can make a difference and they do count. And this project is not so much about making a difference, but we're trying to show that everybody's voice matters. And when you go this way, through experiences that everyone has had, they feel that their voice fits in," says Liviero.

In addition to working at SAS, Liviero is a fourth-year Sociology student living with a disability. And when it comes to supporting a cause that has affected her personally, she is determined to ensure that a strong and reliable message is sent across campus, and students with disabilities are able to express their feelings accurately and appropriately.

"We want to have the people who are actually experiencing disability be in the driver's seat. Instead of having someone telling us how we feel, people can say, now I have learned what you feel as individuals instead of making assumptions," she adds.

"Often times, we think that being in higher education, professors need to educate us, or parents, or someone higher than us, but really, we're our own educators. Through this campaign, people with disabilities know themselves, and really just people in general. They know themselves more than they think they do."

The film will involve active contributions from fellow students and on-campus partners. The video will be shot and edited by McMaster Multimedia students, and the hosts for each of the segments will be volunteers from CFMU. The video will be shot on Sept. 23, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10. A couch will be set up in the arts quad where students will be able to sit down and take part in discussions.

"I really feel that this event can also help anybody, not just people with disabilities. It helps anybody increase his or her awareness about themselves. And if you start increasing awareness about yourself, you can have a greater impact on people working with you. If you know more about yourself, you can have more positive interactions with others," says Liviero.

As Liviero and her team work towards building the campaign, they hope to bring discussion about disability to the forefront of the McMaster community along with a true understanding of this life as we know it.