Disability rights advocate, author to speak March 20 at SIT

Announcement Date: March 7, 2024   |   Alumni, School for International Training

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont – Members of the public are invited to SIT for a Q&A with author and international disability rights activist Sefakor G.M.A. Komabu-Pomeyie, author of I'm Able: A Woman's Advice for Disability Change Agents. The talk will take place at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 20.

Her book details Sefakor’s life, from her childhood in Ghana to the hills of Vermont as a professor and author. At 8, she lost her ability to walk to polio, was abandoned by her father, and treated as an outcast in her community. Through the resilience her mother instilled in her, and despite the difficulties she faced due to her disability, Sefakor pursued an education, knowing it was the only way for her to “become someone of worth.”

Sefakor’s personal experiences have shaped her journey as an international advocate for people with disabilities. Her experiences include serving as an international disability rights advocate, educator, researcher, and policy analyst for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, and as resource center coordinator of the Ghana Education Service. She is a member of the World Learning Advisory Council and currently teaches Global Disability Studies and Race and Racism at UVM and Disability Justice and Ethical Leadership and Disability Policies at Saint Michael’s College.

I'm Able: A Woman's Advice for Disability Change Agents is recommended reading for educators, therapists, counselors, parents, and students who know that with the right environment and support, people with disabilities can soar to greater heights and turn their dreams into a reality. Sefakor will sign books after the event so please bring your copy if you have already one. You can also purchase the book at the event for $18 (cash or check only), request it at a local bookstore, or order it online at Phoenix Books.

Sefakor’s talk will take place in the Nita and Stephen Lowey International Center on the SIT campus, 1 Kipling Road, Brattleboro. Please RSVP to [email protected]