[Video opens with Together We RISE logo and text below it reading Putting RISE Into Action Featuring Star DSP Billie Ayers]
[Billie Ayers wears a bright green shirt with an owl on it and sits on a bench outside]
Billie: I’m Billy, I've been at DSP for 2 years now, maybe a little more, and I've done the NADSP Credentialing back in January…Getting ready to start this second round [laughs].
[Text appears on screen. Narrator reads “What does RISE mean?”]
Billie: It's really just about advocating and RISE going hand in hand.
[Graphics appear on the screen for each aspect of RISE: Respect, include, support, and educate. A graphic of a handshake appears first, followed by a group of people of different abilities surrounding a computer, two stick figures climbing a mountain, and two people having a conversation]
Respect honors their dignity, inclusion gives them a sense of belonging, support gives them their independence and educating breaks down those barriers. And together, those values make community stronger.
[Text appears on screen. Narrator reads “How do you RISE?” ]
Billie: I practice it every day. Just treat people the way you want to be treated, and that's RISE right there.
[Photos appear on a the screen: A person in a wheelchair smiling and holding a sign reading “I am an employee of Meritus”, two women sit next to each other in an office, a woman in a wheelchair poses in a group photo with matching uniforms with coworkers, and a man in a wheelchair hugs a horse]
Just because people have disabilities does not mean that they're at a disadvantage. Learn who they are, talk to them, engage with them, ask questions…there’s RISE.
[Text appears on screen. Narrator reads “How would our community change if everybody decided to RISE?”]
Billie: Oh, definitely build a lot of strength. Breaking down barriers is what it’s about… Break those barriers… I think, along the way, you’ll probably learn a few things yourself.
[Video fades to white and Together We RISE logo appears]