Activist Toolkit

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring to the position you are seeking, and why would those contributions be valuable to River Forest Township?

The Township plays a vital role in our community focusing on human social services. I would like help  guide the direction it takes to realize the Township vision and enhance a sense of community. I seek to amplify perspectives of disabled people, facilitate meaningful connections between residents, and examine how to create a welcoming community. 

I recently served on the River Forest Mental Health Board. In that position I was able to see how the  Township engages with other local governing bodies and service organizations. As a parent of 2 children,  1 with a disability, I have perspectives on navigating complex social systems and policies that impact  access to services and community participation. My work as a physical therapist who also studies and  educates future healthcare providers about health equity for disabled people also inform my awareness  of role the Township can play in delivering services and creating community.  

I can work with communities to listen and assess needs with equity frameworks, to generate appropriate plans and to track the impact of programs or interventions. My skills and perspective can  be useful as the Township engages with residents and organizations to deliver and assess impact of services.

2. What steps will you take to improve and expand community engagement with the Township and the Board? What is your view on how to involve residents in the decision making process in the Township?

I look forward exploring additional methods to encourage community participation in the Township.  One area for engagement with the community is education about the potential role of the Township in  residents’ lives. Community education sessions and outreach through collaborating organizations and  taxing bodies are options to increase awareness of Township programming and to get feedback from  residents. Traditional methods like surveys may be useful to give direction to the Township. The  Township website can be updated to include space for resident comments and questions. The use of virtual platforms/events, like online town halls, are potential avenues to explore. Inviting residents to  tell their stories and experiences of living in the community or utilizing services offered can also bring  new people and perspectives into conversations which can then help guide Township decision making.  Including residents in processes, seeking input from those who may not usually participate, can help  identify projects or programs of value for the community.  

3. Give an example of a time when you worked to understand a situation or view different from your own. What helped you to move through that process? What hindered you as you moved through the process?

For the past few years, I have been invited into and been involved in spaces or programs run by, for and  with people with disabilities, an identity I do not claim. My involvement has required critical self reflection and an ability to understand my own positioning in the work. Recognizing that sometimes I  need to be quiet and listen to learn, that a response is not always immediately needed & that I may not  be the one intended to respond is important. Sometimes it is tough to put aside my own framing based  on my own experiences to let the work go forward, but I have learned it is important to do so. One example that comes to mind is an attempt to get a small disability justice group to focus on voter  registration by getting involved with a larger advocacy group which would have done more education  and outreach. I anticipated an interest in having a relationship with another advocacy group for  increasing awareness of important disability voting issues. I had to step back to see that the group had  addressed that voting in their own way for their members, and that the relationship with the larger  advocacy would have been more work on their end taking away from their original agenda and aims. 

4. Who or what is your role model for your approach to governing?

The role of a trustee is to provide direction, be informed about issues, respond to residents, and  consider resource allocation to ensure cost-effective responsibility of tax-payer monies for township  activities to meet the needs of the community. My understanding of how to fulfill my role as a  Township trustee is framed by ideas of community participation, as well as ideas of empowerment of  those participating with the Township, focusing on strong communication and people-centered  practices. Luckily, there are many women serving as board members in our Village and for our schools  who demonstrate how to hold administrators accountable, to engage with the community seeking out  voices not always heard and to move ideas forward. My approach is to involve residents, not just have  them as sources of information. I think input from the community is vital, and as such I will look to hear  residents accessing services and also organizations providing services. This can help me to better  understand issues impacting residents, and I can encourage resident participation in the Township  planning and program directions. I also feel this approach can lead to increased responsiveness by the  Township for residents in regard to services offered and accountability to residents. 

5. What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing River Forest Township, and how do you intend to address them? How will you prioritize among competing priorities?

One issue facing the Township is understanding the needs of residents and developing a plan to meet  them, especially given the pandemic and heightened social justice issues. A large community health  needs assessment was last undertaken with Oak Park in 2017. I would encourage another formalized outreach with an equity lens to get stakeholders input and to develop a strategic plan.  

Community outreach in this manner may also impact another area the Township can address which is  educating the community about the Township. Some of the Township work done is under the radar of  residents. Bringing people into conversations and facilitating engagement between residents is a role  the Township can play to help create a community where all feel welcome, heard, and included while at the same time educating people about the Township.  

The current building which houses the Township, as well as service providers funded by the Township, is  in need of repair or renovation. A full picture of work to be done needs to be presented. Understanding  the physical needs for space of organizations using the building and getting participant and community  input for addressing the building will be important.  

With all undertakings fiscal responsibility is important. With only 1% of tax dollars going towards  Township services, it’s important to get the most impact from these monies, as well as to ensure  equitable distribution of services and programming. Prioritizing immediate needs, like building repairs  with upcoming projects like a needs assessment and education outreach can be done with attention to  resources.

7. What do you believe has been the most significant action taken by the Township in recent years, and why? Do you believe the Township acted appropriately?

The Township has expanded services and relationships which have benefited residents. Of significance,  the HUB was established in collaboration with other service organizations and townships. The HUB is an  online resource which connects community members to services and helps providers of services also  find tailored supports for those they serve. This resource helps people find quality services in an efficient  manner.  

Another significant area of programing by the Township was the expansion of Senior services and  relationships with agencies to benefit the growing senior population. River Forest is an Age-Friendly  community and with the village established a Dementia Friendly Committee. The Township partners  with agencies which help residents age in place including programs which address mental health, social  connections, and healthy living. Of note is a recent one- year pilot program which offers senior home  repair and accessibility upgrades based on a sliding scale fee payment structure. In addition, Senior  Services has worked to try to address any issues with isolation or consequences from the digital divide  that may be a result of the pandemic. 

8. What relationship do you believe the Township should have with the other local taxing bodies? How can the Township and other government bodies work best together?

The Township does have meaningful and sustained relationships with local taxing bodies which have  been impactful for River Forest residents. I support these partnerships and look forward to growing &  strengthening those relationships to help support needs of residents. The library has been a valuable  partner in Senior programming and hosting events. Collaboration with D90 & D200 has increased mental  health supports for students. Of particular interest to me is the Village of River Forest’s Equity  Taskforce/Working group. I hope the Township will participate in these discussions as the perspective  from the Township will be valuable for the Village, and the perspectives of residents in this group will be  valuable for the Township.  

The Township plays a unique role in advocating for and ensuring the delivery of the human and social  services for residents not already done by the other government entities. By continuing to have open  dialog and relationships with the other taxing bodies, the Township can ensure that people who may not  be traditionally represented in conversations where decisions are made will have some representation at the table. 

9. How do you define racial equity? Have recent events and discussions in the larger community informed or changed your thinking?

Consideration of racial equity allows us to see how systems are disproportionately biased against  communities of color. Racial equity is systematic & structurally fair treatment of people resulting in  opportunities and outcomes for people not dependent on their racial identity. While individual actions  are important, the larger societal structures and barriers in place that prevent participation and promote discrimination need to be examined & updated to ensure that we are giving people what they  truly need to lead full lives. The impact of the pandemic on the Black community in general, and for  Black disabled people in particular confirmed for me (again) that systems are made to not work for  everyone, too many people are left out and progress towards change is too slow. The amplified racial injustice in the summer of 2020 further highlights failings of our systems. At this point, all structures  and institutions – Township, healthcare, policing, government, education, etc. – should be examined for  ways in which groups are continually made to be marginalized. I will support any role the Township can  have to address imbalances and to move us forward. 

10. How do you plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing this community in a different way than you? What barriers do you believe may exist in this process?

It is important for Trustees to meet people where they are both physically and socially to further engage  with residents. I feel fortunate to be connected to other people doing equity work to amplify voices of  those who may not experience what I experience, and I incorporate what I learn from them.  Community conversations, seeking out people who may not usually participate and creating a  welcoming environment for participation is one way the Township can see input from residents.  Reaching out to our organizations, attending meetings and events put on by Township partners are ways  I can get feedback about the work of the Township. 

Barriers are perceptions we hold and time needed to establish trusting relationships. The knowledge of  residents about the township may be another barrier. Depending on past experiences with the  Township or the community, it is possible that people may not want to share. As a parent of a disabled  child who has often had to explain feelings and experiences, I am aware of how tiring it can be to offer  feedback and to continually educate others. While we need to seek out feedback and input from  communities, we need to be mindful of being respectful and not expecting people to continually  educate us without showing we can learn.

11. What is your position on the extent to which the Township includes or should include accessibility features? Please address both physical structures and virtual/information processes.

As someone who has been a longtime (sometimes frustrated) advocate for accessibility, I think this  term needs to be considered broadly. Accessibility represents a way of engaging with the world that  does not require accommodations or “special” requests from individuals. Instead, features are built right  in to a building, an event, a website, etc. The standards of the ADA/ADAA are a bare minimum to follow  and sadly often not enforced, with people who need access made to be responsible for monitoring  projects or activities, continually demanding accessibility features. The use of virtual platforms may increase participation with the Township and should continue going forward with increased attention to  visual and hearing access. Plain language use and multiple language options should be available. When the Township website is updated, it should embed accessibility features. I encourage further discussions  about how to meet the built, virtual and informational worlds informed by everyone, especially those  who have had to adapt to something that did not initially include them. There is a balance between  universal access and ensuring individual needs are met at the same time. I believe balance may be achieved as long as it is considered from the outset.  

12. What are your plans for collaborating with our neighboring communities?

Happenings in neighboring communities impact our local region and vice versa. We have a responsibility  to consider how we impact other local communities. The Township has a good working relationship with  the Oak Park Township which can be a model for how to approach other communities. Relationships like this can be useful as springboards to more collaboration around issues important to residents in the  purview of the Township like health and wellness, community living and accessing social services.  Getting a sense of what is offered or needed through neighboring townships, centers for independent  living and various community organizations can help the Township see where collaboration may  strengthen our own service provision. Any way I can help facilitate relationship building and  collaboration with our neighbors, I will.

• • • • •

[The above answers were supplied on 2/19/21.]