JUNE 2023
Celebrating Inclusion Figures
Disability representation in front of the camera is more imperative than ever. But what about behind the scenes, diversifying the visionaries who make up our creative industries? This is the mission behind Trifle Studio, the UK’s first multidisciplinary design studio whose work is created by artists and designers with learning disabilities, including Andre Williams, Stanley Galton, Christian Ovonlen, Lisa Trim, Nancy Clayton and Ntiense Eno-Amooquaye. Established in 2017 by Intoart, a Peckham-based arts organisation and charity, the studio has already amassed an impressive back catalogue: from a two-year project with the V&A designing printed textiles to collaborating with renowned knitwear brand John Smedley. “Being part of Trifle Studio is very important to me, to talk to the other young artists working in design,” says Eno-Amooquaye. “At Trifle Studio, people see and hear each other.”
Summer Reading to Celebrate Disability Pride
It’s the season for Summer Book lists! Here are some of our favorites books to celebrate disability inclusion:
- Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong
- Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally by Emily Ladau
- Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Activist by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner
- Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow: A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin
Program Highlight: Jobs Program, Best Buddies China
The Best Buddies International Programs Department would like to recognize the Friendship program in China. They work with the Keystone International School, which has 9 buddy pairs. They meet once a month. In March, they had an outing to a forest park; In April, a campus tour of Keystone; In May, a handicraft class was organized by the Keystone students team which aimed at learning basic English through art, drawing, and painting. In June, the Keystone students team will invite buddies with IDD to join in their school carnival to promote the Best Buddies Friendship Program. Keep up the great work!
Best Buddies in Social Media
Kwai Hing Vocational Development Centre & Citizens Buddies Chapter Friendship Walk. Enjoying the time together with Buddies. The Best Buddies Hong Kong movement is to spread joy & love.
Best Buddies Colombia, Ashley Ramirez, got a job as a Logistics Assistant. We are very happy about this new Job Opportunity at our new affiliate company.
Best Buddies Greece filled the streets of beautiful Lamia with happy faces and colors through the campaign “Friendship Bells 2023”. Thank you very much to everyone who participated in spreading the message, “Friendship is a gift”!
Don’t forget to tag @Bestbuddies!
Do you have great content to share on your social media pages? Make sure to tag @bestbuddies if you have content you would like our social media team to consider resharing on our main BBI accounts. Our headquarters social media team regularly checks these to see if there’s good content we can share from those posts or if inappropriate tags need to be removed (people often mistakenly tag @bestbuddies in pictures of their pets, for example). Those tags need to be consistently reviewed).
And the Bestie of the month goes to…
Shaneika Brown from Best Buddies Canada!
This month’s Bestie Award goes to Shaneika Brown from Best Buddies Canada. Shaneika started working with Best Buddies Canada in 2020, initially helping with bookkeeping and social media but has grown into a vital leadership role, managing programs and assisting the organization in the transition of Country Directors. One of her most recent accomplishments and memories includes the Best Buddies Canada Prom a few weeks ago. Over 200 people attended this fun-inclusive event. Thank you, and congratulations, Shaneika.
Tip of the month!
This month’s Bestie Award goes to Shaneika Brown from Best Buddies Canada. Shaneika started working with Best Buddies Canada in 2020, initially helping with bookkeeping and social media but has grown into a vital leadership role, managing programs and assisting the organization in the transition of Country Directors. One of her most recent accomplishments and memories includes the Best Buddies Canada Prom a few weeks ago. Over 200 people attended this fun-inclusive event. Thank you, and congratulations, Shaneika.
Fun Fact of the month
Physical features of fragile X syndrome can include large ears, long and narrow face, high palate (roof of mouth), flat feet, crossed/lazy eyes, hyperflexible joints, and large testicles (in puberty)
Recorded Trainings on Google Drive
Global Staff Webinar: Country Highlight, Best Buddies Dominican Republic (6/21/2023)
Global Staff Webinar: Best Buddies Elementary Friendship Program (5/18/2023)
Global Staff Webinar: Social Media Global Strategy (4/6/2023)
Global Staff Webinar: Best Buddies Online Library (3/15/2023)
For more staff resources, please visit our Programs Staff Library
If you have an event, story, or Bestie nomination to share in our next International Programs Newsletter, please send it to international@bestbuddies.org.
For feedback and suggestions on future newsletters please visit the International Programs Newsletter Feedback Survey.
