Hi everyone!

It has been a wonderful 4 weeks with Birdability!

I have met and learned so much from amazing people, those included: Susan Glass, Judith Smith, Stephen and Stephanie from EFTA, and my wonderful supervisors.

Embarking on this internship journey has been like stepping into a new world. The excitement and the myriad of emotions have blended together to brace myself for the experience ahead. As I reflect on my first initial weeks as an intern, I was drawn to the willingness and the hard-work they have done to make this program a reality for people like me and others with disabilities.

During these first few weeks, I have learned how to advocate and innovate ideas for people who have a disability, as we all come together with our ideas. I have never experienced a place that was so willing to do the right thing, it isn’t an easy task but the hard work makes it worthwhile for that persons accessible experience.

The day to day responsibilities that I have been given has presented their own challenges. I have to think of everyone with their own disability, to learn from what they would like immersed into their experience, what things could be changed or added, and it has been a steep learning curve for me because I often think about my disability which is being deaf but I have to also advocate for others with their disability.

Connecting with people during our webinars and listening to their experience has been eye-opening and it enriches my experience beyond just tasks and deadlines.

By doing my own research on the park that I am placed at, George Washington Memorial Parkway, using tools to collect data on accessibility issues, learning the different things that people may need to accommodate them and how we can incorporate all of these things into one to create a better birding experience for everyone involved.