All Accessibility at PPS-SF
There are many barriers we stumble upon in our daily lives, and we often don’t know what we are going to do, or we realize we need to ask for assistance from someone. This can range from language barriers to educational access, to disabilities and mental health issues. At Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco, we seek to promote equality and justice for all people. If we want to make our beloved city strong, we must allow all voices at the table.
Our Executive Director, Vanessa Marrero, has intentionally gathered a staff which represents many populations who have been marginalized over time. We are a combination of people of all ages, 7 different nationalities, and a variety of educational backgrounds and abilities. Even though I am a woman who is blind with other disabilities as well, when we are all in the office together, it is absolutely beautiful to experience our goal of diversity in San Francisco be lived out in our work together.
Vanessa makes it a priority to model access for all in our organization, as well as to the San Francisco Unified School District and beyond. As an organization, we advocate to the board of education through letter writing and using public comment at board meetings for accessibility for people with disabilities so that they can voice their opinions. We are focused reminding the district to implement accommodations necessary to provide accessibility to persons with verbal or physical challenges. We believe that we thrive when diverse populations bring together their lived experiences to foster a passion for bringing this diversity into all parts of our city, state, and nation.
As is stated in our own non-discrimination policy, “PPS-SF prohibits discrimination, harassment, disrespectful or unprofessional conduct of any kind.” We strive to model practice with our internal and external strategies and encourage you to join us.
So, the next time you see us at an event, co-hosting or hosting our own events- we welcome you to attend with us! We encourage you to not let any barriers get in your way.
We come prepared to assist our families and participants involved with Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco, plus anyone interested in learning more and getting involved. For example, even when I am attending an event in a place where I am already familiar, I will always reach out to the event host in advance with request for materials to be sent to me electronically in advance, and perhaps even a person to help me navigate the space. I might be blind, but I have learned to advocate for myself and found support with organizations committed and who demonstrate equity driven strategies like Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco.
If you would like to share any questions or concerns that you believe we might assist with, please contact us at info@ppssf.org. In fact, it is when people encounter someone different from themselves that they fully learn and embrace the beauty of diversity.
Erin Horne
Marketing and Development Officer