When Rachel Ferreira talks about self-advocacy, it comes from her lived experience.
“As someone with a disability, I’m always advocating for myself. You don’t have a choice when you have a disability; you’re automatically an advocate,” she said.
That perspective led her to join the Sherlock Sentinels consumer advisory committee in 2023, where individuals with disabilities, parents and professionals provide feedback to the Sherlock Center.
“It’s nice to have a say in what is going on. It’s a great advocacy opportunity for everyone involved,” she said of being a Sentinel.
A graduate of Toll Gate High School in Warwick, she earned her bachelor’s degree in health studies with a leadership studies minor from the University of Rhode Island in December 2019.
“I entered URI and I was living on campus, having to figure out how to access everything I needed. The campus is not always very accessible, especially in the dining hall,” she said.
She started working in the dining hall and getting to know the people there. “Around the same time, I was on the President’s Committee for People with Disabilities, a group of students and faculty working together to make things more accessible. I was able to bridge the two groups to provide disability training to the dining staff on accessibility,” she said.
That training would help shape her career. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do at that time. I knew that I wanted to do something with disabilities and thought I’d go into health care or medicine. But after one disability training, I thought I’ve really got a knack for it. I like talking to people about disability and working with different groups. I thought maybe I can make a go of this.”
She started consulting after graduation and conducted some trainings at Meeting Street School in Providence. “They kept having me back and back and then one day – I will never forget it – I go into the meeting and they say, ‘You’re so good we need to hire you.’ I love it. I am welcomed with open arms. I’m so lucky I can say I truly love what I do and who I work with. My boss is amazing. I think that’s one of the reasons why we work together so well. He believes in me and the work I want to do. We’re always on the same page.”
At Meeting Street, she conducts disability training with staff and works with students to help them develop self-advocacy skills.
“It’s good for them to see someone with a disability succeed. You can have a job and you can follow your dreams,” she said. “It’s so rewarding. They have to have a voice, and the sooner they get that voice, the sooner they will be able to live their lives the way they want.”
Asked about the most pressing issues facing individuals with disabilities in our state, she said, “Transportation is a big one. It’s a hot topic and it’s been a hot topic for many years. So many people with disabilities don’t drive. We need good transportation options that are affordable and dependable. It’s not an easy answer,” she said.
Ferreira has two drivers she calls “phenomenal” and sometimes uses RIPTA’s RIde Paratransit Program, which provides door-to-door transportation for people with disabilities who make an advance reservation.
“I am always working on bettering the transportation system,” she said.
What advice would Ferreira give to individuals with disabilities who are interested in becoming more involved in advocacy work? “Do not be afraid to speak up and introduce yourself. You don’t know what you don’t know, and there will be people there to help you. Bring up the next generation,” she said.