ACHIEVE-ABLE: Ableism awareness from a nurse who discovered that human potential doesn’t care how you move
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This podcast course is a humbling, horrifying, enlightening, and inspiring experience, as you’re invited to see the world through the eyes of Ryann Mason, A.K.A. “Chronically_Ry,” of Instagram fame.
Humbling – when we learned that our assumption that as healthcare professionals we ‘had a clue’ about the experience of persons with disabilities was not only lacking, but totally ignorant and ableist.
Awakening – of how the ignorance of society, and medical professionals specifically, has contributed to the challenges that people with disabilities face.
Enlightening – as our instructor gently and comprehensively remedies our ignorance with stories & metaphors from her own experience. Ryan’s simple guidance informs understanding and empathy to shift participants’ thinking and behavior toward individuals with disabilities to effect big change.
Inspiring – Ryan Kress’s story is universally inspiring – one human who used adversity as compost to germinate purpose, service, and a life well-lived.
OBJECTIVES
- Learn how disabilities do not prevent achieving one’s goal and how to advocate for oneself
- Learn more about abelism in both the general and healthcare community
- Learn how to identify disabled individuals
OUTLINE
I. Introductions/Get to know Ryan
II. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- About EDS
- Personal Timeline
III. The Reckoning (Title, not verb)
IV. Conquering Hills: literal and metaphorical
V. The Ableism of Ignorance
- The general public – The sh@t people say when I’m buying tomatoes.
- Healthcare providers – “Yes, I can stand. No, I’m not faking.”
- Patients – “Thank you for your concern. Hold still while I wipe your butt.”
VI. First Person Language
VII. Mobility Aids – (Can’t believe I have to say this but…) things that help people move,
and prevent them from falling-down, improve their quality-of-life.
VIII. Stories: The world-altering implications of an RN who goes places with wheels
- ER Story – man with sepsis
- Instagram Overload
- Educating-out ableism in healthcare
IX. Contact
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Ryann Mason is a 29 year old disability advocate, registered nurse, proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, adaptive athlete, public speaker, sexuality educator, and self-proclaimed loudmouth southern belle. Ryann was born with a rare genetic collagen disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).
Ryann created an Instagram account, “Chronically Ry,” to share her experience with EDS, and it exploded overnight. She continues to leverage this and other social media platforms to educate and inspire younger EDS patients and others with disabilities by sharing her story as a woman with a physically disability working as a nurse in healthcare.
In addition to social media platforms, Ryann’s voice of advocacy for disability has been featured in Forbes magazine (twice,) multiple news stations, papers, and magazines. Ryann is a published model, adaptive athlete in wheelchair basketball, OCR, weightlifting, and an avid karaoke performer when the mood strikes. When she isn’t working the nightshift on the postpartum unit at her local level one trauma center, or running Chronically Ry, Ryann can be found at home with her girlfriend, para athlete Ryen Reed, and their 10 year old chihuahua, Oliver. Ryann could have let everything she’s been through bring her life to a screeching halt, but instead she continues to share her story to encourage and inform others about the needs and experiences of so many disabled humans all over the world.
