Disability and Accessibility

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Newly disabled people aren’t given a ‘how-to’ guide. Disability doulas are closing those gaps. (19thnews.org)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Five@beehaw.org to c/disability@beehaw.org

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Stefanie Lyn Kaufman-Mthimkhulu began doing disability doula work long before they ever heard the term. From the time they were in middle school, they remember “being responsible for big, intense crisis situations” with their friends.

Throughout high school, a close friend self-injured. Kaufman-Mthimkhulu would drive to her house and listen. They would also take care of their friend’s wounds, spend time watching bad TV shows and eat ice cream. What they didn’t do is blame or shame their friend.

Now, years later, disability doula work is a core part of both Kaufman-Mthimkhulu’s personal practice and their job as director of peer support organization Project LETS, which works to organize community-based mental health support for people with disabilities.

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[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 7 points 1 year ago

Fascinating concept. It makes one wonder how workplaces could incorporate this kind of doula support for employees who are many their transformational journeys as persons with disabilities.