With October being Disabilities Awareness Month, today on Y Connect we take the opportunity to introduce you to Victoria Inman, the proud mother of a remarkable daughter on the autism spectrum, and a friend of the Y. Victoria embarked on a mission to capture the essence of those who are differently abled in her captivating coffee table book called, "Spark Acceptance." The book features photos of over 50 individuals, some of whom are members of the Y.. Joining Victoria is Beth Costello, Aquatics Director and the Adaptive Sports Coach for the Decatur Family Y. Together these two extraordinary women share how they worked together to lift up the stories of truly exceptional people.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[5:23] Turning pain into purpose and revealing Victoria's story with her child.
[9:41] Beth explains how she got involved in the aquatics program at the Y for special abilities children.
[12:33] Victoria collaborates with David Carr, the drummer from Third Day.
[14:04 Beth shares why she does what she does at the Y, and Victoria shares stories from her book that spoke to her.
[19:36] Spark Acceptance is available on sparkacceptance.com, and Victoria discusses the impact the book has had.
[23:36] Victoria's advice is don't be afraid of a diagnosis.
[25:54] Beth and Victoria share their Y stories.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
RESOURCE LINKS:
YMCA Atlanta Membership - Website
The Early Learning Program - YMCA Metro Atlanta
BIOGRAPHIES: Victoria Inman & Beth Costello
With October being Disabilities Awareness Month, we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to Victoria Inman, Client Success Director with Jabian Consulting, the proud mother of a remarkable daughter on the autism spectrum, and a friend of the Y. Combining her consulting skills with her passion for photography, Victoria embarked on a mission to capture the essence of those who are differently abled – as well as promote genuine dialogue and societal acceptance – in her captivating coffee table book, "Spark Acceptance." The book features photos of over 50 individuals, some of whom are members of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta.
Joining Victoria is Beth Costello, Aquatics Director and the Adaptive Sports Coach for the Decatur Family Y. Beth is a long-time advocate of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has led many adaptive Y programs, and she worked with Victoria in the development of this book.
QUOTES:
"Ultimately, this world could use more kindness and acceptance.
We can make that happen by sharing more smiles and random acts of kindness. And most importantly, appreciation and acceptance of people and their differences." Victoria Inman
"If I had been more willing to be open about what we were going through, how much better could it have made the opportunities for our child? So, I would say, lean into your situation and find a circle of people that you can trust and reach out to, because one in five households in the United States, according to census data, is caring for a child that has a medical or a special need. That's 20 percent of the population." Victoria Inman
"When I bring in new kids, I learn all about them. I get to understand how they work and I accommodate my teaching structure to the way they work. So it's fun for me because I am constantly learning, I'm constantly connecting with folks, and I enjoy the parents as well. It's just amazing work for me." Beth Costello
