Video Transcript

Eric Harris:
Hey, welcome back to The Game Plan. I'm your host, Eric Harris. Today, our guest is the wonderful Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson. Brittanie is a fierce and passionate disability advocate who brings such good vibes to this episode. We talk about her winning this year's Paul G. Hearne Award through the American Association of People with Disabilities. She shares her experience growing up in Minnesota and now living in the Bay area. We discuss her advocacy work in both states and the differences she sees between Minnesota and California. We talk about the importance of in-home support services, or IHSS, and that disability advocacy is a labor of love. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Brittanie.

[Triumphant music fades in]

Voiceover:
The Game Plan is a production of Disability Rights California, a space to strategize, organize, and posterize for the future of the disability rights movement. For more information on our work, please visit us at disabilityrightsca.org.

[Triumphant music cuts off]

Eric:
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of The Game Plan with Disability Rights California. I'm your host, Eric Harris, and today we are joined by an incredible leader and incredible advocate, Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson. And we're super excited to have you, Brittany. And look forward to the conversation.

Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson:
Yeah. Thank you so much, Eric. It's, it's such a pleasure to be on your show. I appreciate it.

Eric:
Absolutely. How did you get into disability advocacy? What motivated you and kind of what keeps you motivated to to stay with disability advocacy?

Brittanie:
Yeah, that's a great question. You know, honestly, I had so much internalized ableism growing up and, like, didn't have a word for it or a way to really talk about, about it. And so for so long, I feel like I avoided the elephant in the room, me being disabled. So, you know, and a wheelchair user. And, so for much of my life, I feel like when I was younger, I really tried to avoid anything talking about disability or pointing out that I was, you know, different cause my chair didn't, didn't do that for me, you know, weekly. [Eric laughs] And so it was when I was in college that I really started to consider disability as a part of my identity, which is so funny. It sounds so strange to say that now, you know, I'm in a much different place with my identity. And, you know, I remember learning about ableism, especially Talila Lewis's definition. And I just remember that, like, sticking to me. Just like punching me in the gut. And just like, I just knew, like, this is what I've been feeling my whole life. I read this, poem by Maria Palacios called "Ableism Is". And that just had me in tears. Like I was just bawling. It was again, another time, another one of the first times in my life where someone was so clearly lay laying out what ableism was, and I was like, yes, yes, yes. And it was just so profound to me that there was a word to this feeling that has lived inside of me my whole life. And so I just started realizing things, right? And part of that was understanding that I've been given this really incredible gift of communication, and I've got this boldness in me, this stubbornness. And I just realized, you know, I need to use this. I need to use my powers for good. And so I found out about this course called Partners in Policymaking. And this is when I lived in Minnesota. And, I found out about it and I looked it up online and the application was due like two days later. And I was like, this is a sign I must apply. And Partners, for folks who don't know, is a national program. And it is run in most states, in the U.S. and, basically it teaches you everything about disability advocacy, from the local, the state to the federal level. And the very first class is about disability history. And, the executive director of, the program and the person who started it, Doctor Colleen Wieck, just goes through like centuries of history in a day. And, I just was so mad at Eric. I was so angry. Like, I never knew and learned about the ways that we have, like, been murdered and been civilized and been oppressed. And it was just like, it all just kind of hit me that, like, this is exactly what I need to do. This is exactly my purpose. Like, this is why I'm here. I need to fight for my people. And it just like I felt so connected to our ancestors in that way. And I still do, you know, because it's like people have been fighting for us for centuries, you know, and like, in a way, it is an honor to be able to carry that. And so it just fired me up. And yeah, I just made that decision that I was going to dedicate myself to this.

Eric:
Man that's wonderful. That's that is a super powerful way to get into the movement and a super powerful way to, to get started. Can you talk a little bit, I know you grew up in Minnesota, you lived in Minnesota, and since then you've moved to California. Just kind of what the difference has been for you being in Minnesota, what that experience was like for you as a black disabled person and then now being in California?

Brittanie:
Yeah, definitely. You know, being a black disabled woman, was a very isolating feeling. I think a lot of the time growing up in, in Minnesota, and I was often one of the only people with disabilities in my school. And I was also, one of the only people of color, certainly the only liked person of color that was disabled, at least visibly, right? And, you know, Minnesota is an incredible place. They have got wonderful programs and services. You know, and with that being said, Minnesota is also one of the largest, like, racially segregated places, right? It's it's harder if you're a person of color to be in on services. But, you know, Minnesota was where I grew up, and I feel like in terms of how things are different, you know, I grew up in a more rural area, in a place called Saint Cloud. It's, more of, like a medium sized city, you know, and, and then once I graduated, I moved to Saint Paul, and that was a much different experience. That was a much more, you know, metropolitan area, a lot more diversity and things. And so I feel like when I moved to the cities, I just became much more of myself. I was a lot more free in a way. And then again, coming into my own with, with advocacy, but still, you know, in, in disability advocacy in Minnesota, I was also one of the only people of color, you know, we need more, more black folks, more, more people of color in this work, of course, and just more intersectionality in general. In terms of the differences, though. I think that the disability community, it's it's a it's a much smaller state, right? You know, it's not as big as California. So we have to take that into account. But I think that the disability community feels really, really powerful in Minnesota. There were, was a lot of cross collaboration that would happen at the legislature. Working on bills and also just testifying was a lot different. You know, here, if you're not on a panel and not invited to testify, you know, you have like a minute to give public comment. And in Minnesota it's a little different. You know, we really, fought to be led by people with disabilities. And so there was a lot more opportunity to be and speak and tell your story at the legislature. And then just the representatives in general are a bit more, available. You know, you could really go into the Capitol and see the legislators and meet with them and have relationships with them.And like, you know, I'd see like Senator John Hoffman, and be like, "Hey, how's it going?" And like, you know, knows me by name and like, knows my story and it's, you know, so that was that that was different. That was different. You know, in California, you know, we're much bigger where it's a lot harder for folks. There's a lot more barriers to get to the Capitol in Minnesota. You can also still testify. Well, I haven't been there in two years, so I need to double check. But when I was there, right, we could still testify even after Covid via, you know, virtual, which is so impactful and incredible for us. It removes a lot of barriers, you know.

Eric:
Yeah.

Brittanie:
But in terms of differences in California, I feel like we are a little bit more scattered. You know, disability justice, you know, was born here, right? The disability rights movement born here. So many incredible organizations DRC, DREDF, you know, so many just power builders, movers and shakers here. This is an incredible place, you know, and I feel like we have work to do to sustain that.

Eric:
I love it, I love it. Well, I want to talk just briefly about your day job Hand in Hand and some of the work that you do there. Can you let folks know what Hand in Hand is, what you all do? And just any of the work that you all are connected with?

Brittanie:
Yeah, definitely. Well, I'm an organizer with Hand in Hand, and I've been here for a little over two years. Hand in Hand is a national network of domestic employers. So we help people who hire folks in their home, whether that be home care, nannies, gardeners, house cleaners. And we teach people how to be good employers. We teach people just the basics, you know, how much do you need pay for it to be a livable wage? That's not just minimum wage, you know? How do you build a contract that's cross collaborative, right? How do you talk about ableism in your care relationships, and how does that come up? We also help fight for domestic worker rights, you know, because there's such a connection between immigration, between, domestic worker rights and between labor and also enslavement, like domestic worker, domestic workers, that is built off of a legacy of enslavement in this, in this country. And, and so it's just really important that we, that there be a place that helps, you know, guide employers on how to be fair and good employers and how to show up for domestic workers. Now, with all that being said, I work for the California chapter, and I again, I'm an organizer with home care. So many people in California pay for their home care through Medi-Cal, through IHSS. And so the most like the biggest, you know, focus that I have right now is to protect Medi-Cal and IHSS. And one of the biggest ways that I do that is through storytelling, is through teaching people about their power, about their rights, and to help them to shape the most impactful parts of their story, to share with legislators, with their friends and family, to help move our culture and our policy.

Eric:
I love it. And it seems like, I mean, a big connection of course, home care, domestic workers, in-home support services, just vital when it comes to self-determination, being able to live your life how you want to live, and of course, connected deeply to the disability movement's mantra of "Nothing about us without us". Can you just talk a little bit about kind of all those connections and why they're so important? Self-Determination, "Nothing about us without us," and being able to live independently?

Brittanie:
Yeah, I mean, that's such a great question, you know, and it's so fundamental, for for every human and especially for people with disabilities, you know, "Nothing about us without us," is for us is such a rallying cry. You know, it's such a just an integral part of our movement that I think unites us globally, you know? So "Nothing about us without us," is for us you know. What does that mean? I think for me, it means being able to choose and have these say in our life, you know, being able to, dream, being able to mess up and try again, being, you know, in charge of, of our lives and what we do. And I think it's just so, so critical. And I think it was Ed Roberts who said, like, independence isn't doing everything on your own, like Inter or independence is actually like having the say in how it's done and having, being a part of the process. And, you know, I think that Ed was really talking about interdependence. You know, I think that we're fed such a lie in our culture that we should pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. And it's just not true. Like Eric, who made your clothes, who paved the roads that you come to your office in? Like whose making the [Eric laughing] food you're going to eat later? Like,

Eric:
Yeah.

Brittanie:
And I could ask myself those same questions, you know, like, we are an interdependent species and world and we rely on each other, and rightly so. We are meant to be together, to work together. And ultimately, I think it all boils down to love. So like for me, self-determination is about, you know, me being able to decide what I want to do and how I want to do it. I'm an adult, you know, and I and I have dreams and aspirations and hopes, you know, and it's about being supported, you know, it's about being supported in a way, that supports the growth of, like, each of us, you know, and so it's just really integral in that. And, you know, we you don't ask this of any other community. We don't. We don't ask this of any other community. And the simple fact that disability is not a matter of, you know, it's of if, but a question of when every single person will be disabled in their life if they live long enough, you know. And so in terms of the connections, it's just like this matters to every single human being, as far as I'm concerned.

Eric:
That's right, that's right. Speaking of policies, many elements of in-home support services are at risk. This year, in large part because of the passing of H.R. 1, and the gutting of Medicaid federally. And, of course, it has an impact on states throughout the country, including California. Can you talk a little bit about just generally why that's so important for disabled people specifically? And if there are pieces of it that you can explain to folks who might not know what in-home support services means or might not know what Medi-Cal means for disabled folks, if there's any of that, that you can just shine a light on?

Brittanie:
Yeah, for sure. You know, I'll start off by saying, Eric, you know, I'm not an expert, but I can I can do this. You know, I think I can handle this. All right. [Brittanie laughs] You know, in-home supportive services or IHSS is California's Medicaid funded home care program, and it helps people who are on this program like disabled folks, older adults, to get the support that we need to live safely in our homes instead of institutions, right? And IHSS helps us to get daily living support. So some folks may need help with things like dressing or bathing or eating or using the restroom, you know, preparing meals or cleaning their home, getting to medical appointments, you know, other tasks that everyone needs to really like, survive and, you know, participate in life, right? And so a key part of IHSS is going back to that self-determination is that recipients get to choose and help direct their own services. You know, we get to help hire the folks that we want to work with us. And it's not always right, families, family members or friends like we hear in the media, right? Many folks in the community can't rely on their family to help, for many reasons, right? And I think the most important thing to know is that IHSS really gives folks that autonomy, that independence that we were talking about. It helps people feel safe, which is a human right. It helps people be connected to their culture and their community, another human right. But most importantly, it helps have that control over our lives. Anyone can be disabled at any time, and that's why this is not just an extra benefit for those people. This is something that anyone could need at any time. And I don't care if you don't want to think about it, if you're not disabled, this is life. And that's our disabled wisdom. We know this. We carry it in our bones, you know? So like the work that you're doing, Eric, and the work that DRC is doing, the work that Hand in Hand is doing, you know, the work that we're doing, it's for everyone. And I just wish people knew that, like, for real, [Eric and Brittanie laugh] like for real.

Eric:
I know, I know, like, I know. And first of all, I would argue that you are an expert and that people should be listening to you, including the people in the building up the street from me at the state Capitol. But that's a whole nother conversation. And second, you're exactly right. Like, it shouldn't require that it's going to impact you or could impact you, or could impact a loved one or a family member. But it could, act like all of these issues that we're talking about are not, like up in the stratosphere, like, you know, you know, magic could happen. Maybe one day it's like, no, these are things that happen to people every day, all the time, and people should be more aware of them. So I appreciate I really appreciate your point. And and connecting it all to this could have a direct impact on anybody at any time who develops and gets a disability. So you come to Sacramento pretty often. It's funny because of course you're in the Bay area and, you know, I'll be in the Capitol, you know, doing one thing or another. We'll have staff for DRC at the Capitol at a hearing, and they'll all be like, yeah, we saw Hand in Hand here, like Brittanie came here with a carload of people. [Brittanie laughs] There's a bunch of great advocates. Can you talk just a little bit about why it's so important to you and some of your colleagues, especially, connected and close to the Bay area, to actually be in person, come to Sacramento and speak directly about some of these issues. I know it ties directly to so much of what you've talked about so far.

Brittanie:
Yeah, definitely and Eric, what a intro to that question. I just like envision like a wheelchair gang. Like busting out of my van, like "We're ready." Like, "where's the hearing room" like I don't know. [Eric and Brittanie laugh] We got our stories, no. [Brittanie laughs] So it's so incredibly important to go to the Capitol and I'll tell you why. Okay, first of all, you go into these buildings, there's a ton of people. You got to wait a long time to get in that elevator, but you are felt and you are seen when you're knocking on those doors to the legislative offices. You know, we're clogging up the halls. People are like, turning the corner. Like, "Oh, how do I get around you?" Yeah. We're here. We're present. Like people in the offices are like, "Oh, weren't you just here last week?" "Sure were. Yep, yep. Did did did the budget get passed yet?" Like "Oh no it didn't?" We're going to be back here next time. Yep yep. Sure are. You know and it's just it's so important to be that squeaky wheel to cause that good trouble, to to be there. You know, I like to tell my story tellers, you know, how I want to tell stories that haunt these legislators, I sure do. I want our stories to be in their minds and in their hearts. I want to tell and have people share their stories, and then be so impactful that those legislators must do the right thing.

Eric:
So you recently won the 2026 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award. Woooo! Congratulations.

Brittanie:
Thank you.

Eric:
And that award is with AAPD. Shout out to AAPD. I'm a former intern, proud former intern. And that award, includes, $25,000 prize to do amazing work, to do an amazing project, Our Stories, Our Care. You've spent a lot of this interview even talking about the importance of storytelling, the importance of our stories being told. Can you just talk a little bit about your excitement for that award? I know that there's plenty of stories and social media out there from AAPD, lifting, lifting you up. So anything you want to say about that?

Brittanie:
Well, we love AAPD. And, you know, I'm so honored to have been chosen as a Paul G. Hearne awardee this year. Yeah, I, I just I've been having the time of my life, doing this project and like, you know, it's all around storytelling. My project is called Our Stories, Our Care, and it is all around, you know, protecting Medi-Cal, for the 2026, 2027 budget year cycles. We're right in the thick of it right now. And, my project is all around access. You know, I mentioned some of the barriers people experience as of my work as an organizer. I feel it every day, and I just refuse to ever let access be a barrier for me to organize with any type, certain type of person, or for me to not, you know, be involved, like with any community, you know, because like when you're like, hey, we need ASL interpreters or hey, we need this or that. Some people are like, oh, where are we going to get the money, you know?

Eric:
Right.

Brittanie:
And so my main motivation for applying for this was like, how can we create barrier free access for people with disabilities to get to the Capitol, whatever they need. I don't want to have any hoops, any barriers, any nothing to prevent someone from getting there and from sharing their story. I don't want any strings attached. I want this to be accessible. I want this to be free. And so, AAPD believed in it too. And so again, you know, we are creating barrier free access to get people to the Capitol. We have storytelling trainings that are going on, where we teach people how to share stories, and how to share their story if people want to meet with me, I'm also doing one on ones to help people, like, craft it. And then again, we're giving people barrier free access ticket to the Capitol. This will also culminate in a disability justice Medi-Cal quilt. I want to, all of the stories and all of the people that are involved in this legislative advocacy for this year will have an opportunity to have their story on a quilt. This quilt will have, the name of the project and all of our stories, and it will be something that we can take to the Capitol in the future that we can show people. And I just think it's so poetic that, you know, a quilt is something that keeps you warm, it's something that's so comforting. It's something that's passed down from generation to generation. And, you know, there's just significance around care with that. So I'm super pumped.

Eric:
Love it.

Brittanie:
I'm very excited. It's going well. I'm going to leave you a link to the website.

Eric:
Perfect.

Brittanie:
And so anyone that's watching this, I would love for you to check it out. Go ahead and share your story. Get in contact with me. Be a part of this project. We need you. And ultimately, Eric, you know, this all really does for me just come back to love.

Eric:
Alice Wong meant so much and still means so much to so many people. As a as a shining light in our movement as a difference maker, a change maker in our movement. Any reflections, that you have, that you'd like to share about your friend and fierce disability advocate, ally, activist, all the things. Feel free to share.

Brittanie:
Oh, yes. I, you know, I had such an honor and privilege to know Alice and to get to be friends with Alice. And, I met Alice a year or two before I actually moved to the bay. And, from the very moment that I met Alice, there was just a connection and just a feeling of love and just support. Alice was one of my biggest supporters in moving here. She was always like, "It's going to be your time when you move here, it's your time to do you.” And, you know, Alice is such an oracle. You know, Alice is still here. I encourage people to talk to Alice, to send love to Alice, to send prayers to ask Alice questions for guidance. Like, that's what Alice wants, you know, and I think, like, there's such a connection to our ancestors that I don't think we talk about enough. Like I'm thinking about Patty Berne too another incredible person that we lost this year. And like, they were both just incredible leaders in our community who helped us to build this map, you know, to create this map of, liberation. And I think that both Patty and Alice, like so many others that came before them, were just those guiding light who did not waver on their principles.

Eric:
Yeah.

Brittanie:
You know, no matter what Alice always said, Free Palestine, no matter what. Always stuck up for her morals. For her values. Did it in such a kind, respectful way, but never wavered. Like, that's integrity. I want that we can all learn from that. Yeah. And, you know, one of the things that, Alice had shared with me is that when she started Disability Visibility and when she was dreaming of what it could be in the project, that there were people that discouraged her, I was like, "Alice, what? For real?" Like, whoa. You know, looking at what she's built and what will continue to be her legacy is incredible, and I don't think anyone could imagine it not being here because what a force for culture.

Eric:
Yeah.

Brittanie:
You know, and, you know, that just always stuck with me. And it wasn't until later in life, until her 40s that she started to really just say, "F it, Imma be me. Imma be me." And, you know, Alice was hilarious and so freaking funny and just, like, had me cackling, like, just cackling. Loved to talk shit. Just like just like so fierce.

Eric:
Yeah.

Brittanie:
And like how iconic too, that like Alice, Alice's last words are "Don't let the bastards grind you down." Like can I have that tattooed on body. [Eric laughs] Like I'm going to say that to myself. I say that to myself and like my deep, but some of my deepest, you know, points of being down or despair or just feeling, you know, I say that to myself, and I know I'll say that to myself in the future, too.

Eric:
Yeah.

Brittanie:
It's like written in my heart, you know, and I think, you know, the last thing that I want to say too, is that we don't have to be the Alice Wongs and the Patty Bernes to make an incredible difference. You don't have to be known like that to change people's hearts, to change people's minds, to live our best lives. It's okay. You know, I think we live in a culture that chases fame a lot and chases recognition. And it is incredible to be recognized. And it feels good. And we need our flowers, of course.

Eric:
Right.

Brittanie:
But we don't need all of that to make change, you know? And, I think that that, that folks like Alice and Patty understood that, you know, and wanted to uplift those voices that didn't get to be seen as much. And the last thing I want to just say is, like, Alice and Patty, are loved, right? And, we can embody disability justice in our actions every day, in our work every day, in our beings every day. And what we do, we can embody it. We can embody that fierceness that Alice showed us, that integrity that Alice showed us, that courage, that beauty, that light, like everybody has that in them. And so I just want to say that I think the biggest way that we can honor our ancestors, the people that helped put us on the map and helped show us that path to liberation, we can honor them by embodying their spirit and by embodying their teachings in us, and by encouraging others to do the same. And I think that's the best way that I honor, yeah, that I honor them every day and that I feel and stay connected to

Eric:
Love it, love it. We really appreciate it. Really appreciate your insights. And just, lifting her up, lifting Patty up, it it it's really wonderful. Really appreciate it. So last couple of questions. Do you have any media, so show, TV show, book, music song, album, anything, piece of art, like anything that you're just like, you know what right now this really hits hard for me or brings me joy or it's something that people should check out. [Brittanie laughs] Anything that you want to lift up.

Brittanie:
Yes, I'm getting excited over here. I'm like, "What's pumping me up?" Okay, well, I'm a YouTuber and I need to vlog. I've always wanted to be a vlogger, so I watch a lot of YouTube. But what I really want to lift up is like the album of the year in my heart, which is Olivia Dean's The Art of Loving. Olivia Dean's whole album is so, so good. My karaoke song is, [Brittanie clear her throat to start singing] “I make it so easy to fall in love.” Oh! That song is so so good Eric.

Eric:
I love it.

Brittanie:
Her whole album? Incredible. Just love it front to back. Cannot get over it. And let's see, I'm trying to think of something that I do. I don't know, I've been reading this book called What Would Frida Do, and it's really, I don't know, I've been reading like ten pages every day, and it I just love feeling connected to a disabled ancestor. And Frida and I share the same birthday and there's so much we can learn from her. So yeah, recommend.

Eric:
Yes, yes, I love it. I think everybody would enjoy both both the album and the book because that is fantastic and really needed, especially in these times where it's like it's it's a struggle sometimes for for a lot of folks. And I think, you know, having access to great music and great, great books, but, you know, just just wonderful recommendations. Really appreciate it. And then final question for you, what is your game plan for 2026? I know you're obviously working currently on a major project. But any other kind of big picture goals for the year that that you have Brittanie?

Brittanie:
You know, when you said game plan. I don't know if I mentioned this before, Eric, but I am a power soccer player. So when you said game plan, I was like nationals baby.

Eric:
Ay, that's a that's that's a good one for me. That's a good one.

Brittanie:
My game plan, so I'm a part of the BORP Shockers in the Bay. Hey, team. Hey BORP, boop boop. And, we're going to Nationals in June at the end of June, it's in Indiana. So my game plan is to kick some booty, to not get any fouls or yellow cards, but to score. I'm a winger and wingers gotta score, so that is definitely in the game plan for 2026. In terms of work, you know, keep collecting my stories. I just want to build this project to be as powerful as it can, something that can continue to grow into the future. I want to just continue learning, you know, like, there's so much for me to learn as an organizer, as a human being. And I just want to continue to be challenged, show up, with love for real. Like, it might sound corny, but that is a serious goal of mine. And, I don't know, have some good food along the way, catch some good trails. Like I need to feel the wind in my hair. Okay, if anybody has some good trails, like please let me know. I'm living in the Bay Area. But yeah, I just want to try my best, do my best, work hard, play hard, and of course, make sure that the legislator, assembly members, and folks know that we are here. We ain't going anywhere, and they ain't cutting our stuff, okay?

Eric:
That's right, that's right, I love it, I love it. Well, shout out to BORP Bay Area Outreach Recreation program. I'm a, as a former wheelchair basketball player there I, I love to lift them up. So good luck to your team, the power soccer team. And so glad that you're lifting up stories for our community. We we need all the storytellers we can have and all the fierce leaders and advocates that we can have. So shout out to you and all the work that you're doing.

Brittanie:
Thank you so much, Eric, and thank you, DRC. Thank you for having me on your show today. And thank you to everybody watching, listening or however, you're taking this in. [Triumphant music fades in] Sending you so much love. And let's get connected.

Eric:
Thanks, Brittany. Appreciate you.

Brittanie:
Thanks Eric.

Voiceover:
This has been the Game Plan a production of Disability Rights. California, please like subscribe, comment on the platform of your choice. See you next time.