Colonization, Liberation, and Universal Design for Learning: Interview with Natalie Thoreson
When initially approached to write an article for Multiple Voices: Disability, Race and Language Intersections in Special Education's Special Issue: In Service of Equity? Exploring Universal Design for Learning's Transformative Potential, I almost said no. As a neuro-divergent person who lives with pronounced ADHD, I've had a lifetime of challenges with learning. Specifically, I've found writing to be an incredibly difficult task. I am also a mixed-race person born in Seoul Korea, to a mother who spoke no English. After considering it for a bit I realized that my identities and experiences were exactly why I should take the time and energy to attempt to create an article for this issue focusing on Universal Design for Learning. I chose to use the accommodations available to me and was lucky to be able to share my thoughts through an interview with Elena Botkin-Levy of Gems Oral History. An excerpt of the transcript from that interview follows—the audio of the full interview (57 min) is linked through the journal website, and it explores additional topics such as considering intersectionality and the future of my work.ABSTRACT
Contributor Notes
Facilitator Bio
Natalie J. Thoreson, MEd. (She, They, He) Natalie (she/they/he) has facilitated antiop-pression workshops for over 20 years, founding rEVOLution with the goal of findin' the LOVE in revolution. Her techniques foster critical examination of systems of oppression, and the way we have been socialized to uphold these systems of inequality. He believes that creating loving, interdependent communities is the heart of true rEVOLutionary change. Natalie resides on the rightful lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, in what is now known as Oakland, CA with their life partner Gin, dog Tasi, and two stinky guinea pigs.
Elena Botkin-Levy has worked at the intersection of audio production, education, and media-making for over 20 years. With a focus on amplifying queer voices as a storyteller, Elena started in community radio and learned that holding space, asking questions and documenting is powerful. Drawn to oral histories as an opportunity to map our own narratives, she started GEMS Oral Histories & Audio Storytelling to support individuals and communities in saving and honoring stories that matter.
