Meet Julie Reiskin | Executive Director, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Reiskin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, what do you attribute your success to?
Everything we do is based on real experience and voice of the people who are directly impacted by the problems we are trying to solve. Our “motto” is “nothing about us without us..ever” We focus on making sure that people who live with specific government programs, that are necessary and important, inform the policy that governs these programs. By sticking to this principle and providing support to people to have their voice heard we are able to be right on the policy issues, and provide real and meaningful information to policymakers. This has given us a form of credibility that is important to our success. Moreover, our staff are able to have genuine understanding when talking to members or anyone impacted by the system or struggling with the problem we are trying to solve. When we raise problems with state agencies or legislators we always have real people with examples of the problems to show how the policy is being carried out in real life. Often when public policy goes wrong it is not because of ill intent but because the people directly involved were not involved in decision-making.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am proud to be part of the Social Work profession. I got my Bachelor’s in 1985 and Master’s in 1989 and have focused on social justice work my entire career. I became interested in disability rights after acquiring a disability in my early 20’s but had always been involved with social justice. I became aware of racial discrimination at age 5 when my family moved from a more integrated community in Chicago to an all white suburb in Connecticut. I was immediately struck by the difference in the housing options and community between those of us who are white and those who are not. Our Jewish family was not readily accepted, but we were still able to live in a nice house and go to good schools, something not afforded to Black people. This lack of fairness really bothered me as a 5 year old and continues to bother me as a 57 year old. I originally wanted to do just community organizing and tear down all systems that are oppressive. I still believe in this but learned one cannot tear down without knowing what should be built. One of the greatest challenges to social justice work is how long real change can take. It is not just about passing a bill, or repealing a bad law. The legislative part is a tiny step. Implementation and carrying out the policy objective takes years, if not decades.

I came to Colorado in 1994 after falling in love. However, before this I had been forced to decide to stop working for pay so that I could go on Social Security Disability and enroll in Medicaid. In those days there were no pre-existing condition protections and I had become forever uninsurable, and insurance does not really cover what many disabled people need. I tried to just work hard and pay for what I needed, but that was killing me and eventually no doctor would treat me because it was deemed dangerous. I was very angry and determined to change the system so that people with disabilities could work and keep Medicaid. Through the efforts of many people including Josh Winkler who is now Polis’ disability advisory, we did get a Medicaid Buy-in For Working Adults with Disabilities in Colorado and I began to earn money in 2015. From 1993-2015 I was forced to live in poverty and work without a salary so I could get the services and supports I needed to live independently. Once I was able to keep Medicaid and determine disability in a way other than using Social Security I happily went off of Social Security as I was able to earn money. When I moved to Colorado I wanted to work on health care policy and was advised that CCDC was a good organization to work with to engage in health policy. I came on as a volunteer policy advocate. A few years later the founding Executive Director, Jean Parker, wanted to step back and we became co-directors and eventually I became the Executive Director. I never pictured myself as an Executive anything and did not have any management or organizational leadership training when I became Executive Director. I made many mistakes and learned a lot over the past 25 years. I try to always learn from mistakes. I also try to watch others who are successful and learn from them. I am lucky to have excellent board members I can learn from, especially the co-chairs, Lloyd Lewis and Brenda Mosby. I am also lucky enough to be on the board of organizations that have outstanding directors including the ACLU of Colorado and the Legal Services Corporation, These organizations also have other Board members who are incredible and from whom I learn a lot.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love downtown and Tattered Cover lodo is a definite spot. I would also take them to Union Station and one of the places to eat around there. I would take them to my favorite local coffee spot (Prodigy Coffee). There are plenty of restaurants for eating in or delivery in Denver. I might suggest an overnight train trip to Winter Park or Glenwood Springs. The train ride is beautiful and there is plenty to do in those towns. I also would show them around my neighborhood (Clayton) and show them the parks and places my dogs and I enjoy. I would show them the historic Broadway and Colfax site of the disability rights protest that started the movement to get accessible buses in the late 70’s that then led to the creation and enactment of the Americans’ with Disabilities Act. I would take them to a play by PHAMALY if one was available and a show at Access Gallery if one was open. The Santa Fe Arts district is also fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Past and present Board, Staff, and Volunteers of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition. This is an organization of fantastic people. The Board is supportive, engaged, and always helpful without micromanagement. The staff is the hardest working group of people I have ever met. We are a diverse organization always striving to increase our reach and diversity. Staff have a variety of lived and professional experiences and expertise. They bring their whole selves to the job and go about their work with the understanding and acceptance of the responsibility that the work we do can be life and death and is always directly impacting the actual lives of thousands of people. We also have many volunteers. These are folks that sit through hours of legislative and executive branch committee hearings diligently representing our community. Others engage in outreach activities throughout the state. Still others engage in community organizing and even more show up when we need them. Finally, the many people who donate to CCDC allow us to do this work. While I often get the spotlight as the leader the work belongs to the disability community and the organization. None of our work happens without all levels of the organization working together for our common purpose.

Website: www.ccdconline.org

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliereiskin/

Twitter: @CCDC501c3 @juliereiskin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.reiskin.33 https://www.facebook.com/CCDC.CO

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6WhyWFSLUzYW8MXAB_1GZg