Grantee Partner Spotlight: Vanessa Harris, Strategy for Access Foundation

Q: What is the most important thing people should know about your work?

Vanessa Harris: We make videos for the disabled community. We believe that people with disabilities have just as much to offer if not more than able-bodied people. They should have just as much fun – if not more fun, and that’s why the Foundation also goes by the name Fun4theDisabled. 

The audience we reach is people with disabilities and their allies, so they can share good experiences with each other. We have everything – and encourage people to get involved in literacy, fun things to do, etc. We work with disabilities advocates; in fact we interviewed Judy Heumann a year ago. She was featured in the documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” and was instrumental in creating the ADA. She has a few books out. One, “Being Heumann,” her life story, is on the New York Times bestseller list. She worked for President Bill Clinton as well as President Barack Obama. The interview is on our website. It is called “Icon to Icon.” She called me an ‘icon’, and I said ‘Right!’

One of the first videos I did was about how to buy a car if you’re a wheelchair user. I did that – was very stressful. With making major purchases, you have to learn to do it right. I was learning while I was doing it. I learned a lot – how to get the right price, and the right equipment put into it. The salesman sold it to me, then did a switcheroo, and with a bigger price. I was already off the lot, and with the wrong car. He sent me somewhere to get the equipment put in, and they said you can’t use the wheelchair you have with this car. Will have to buy a wheelchair with us. I talked to my lawyer, who said stop the check. The dealer ended up giving me a new car, at a better price. He sent me to another place, to have it finished first, without paying for it. So then I made a film about it. I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I went through. It is one of our most popular.

We also did a series on children’s books. In many cases, we want to feature main characters with a disability. One was about Art Tatum. Another was on Jacob Riis. He was a photographer at the beginning of the 20th century, and did photos of New York tenements. He was able to get funding to help get the tenements cleaned up. He didn’t have a disability, but was fighting for social justice. So we did a video on a book, “Jacob Riis’ Camera” about his life. We also did a video about the life of Horace Pippin, who was injured in WWI. After his injury, he started engraving into wood pieces of art, and became well known as an artist. The book is called “A Splash of Red.”

Q: How did you arrive at doing what you do?

Vanessa Harris: I retired after a career in engineering, and was going to get my PhD, to teach engineering. I couldn’t walk anymore; I’m a wheelchair user. I was accepted into grad school, but then I got a bill from the university for $50,000, for tuition. I contacted my research advisor, and he said you have to find your own money. I contacted the National Science Foundation, and the guy I talked with said ‘you’re black, have a disability, have everything going for you to get funding. But think about it – when you’re trying to defend your thesis, what’ll happen to you.’ I thought about that. Went to my doctor. She said, ‘Go do something else for a while, think about something else.’ So I took a documentary class. I did a documentary on inclusive art. That’s why I say that art keeps me happy, and sane. I talked to the artist, and she said you’re really good. You should do more. And that was 80 videos ago now!

Q: Who makes your work possible?

Vanessa Harris: We list all of our funders on our website. We couldn’t get this done without them. And the volunteers, they help a lot. And then there are the people who watch the videos. The audience members are kids from age 3 up to age 8 or 9. We also find that in many cases, their grandparents also watch the videos with them, too.

You should know that Illinois Humanities was our first funder. About three and a half years ago, we were in a meeting with our team of volunteers. You called to say that the grant was approved. That was our first. We were all so excited. That played a big part in how we got to where we are today.

SUGGESTED READING BY VANESSA HARRIS:

• Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner
• Children’s books from our website.