{"id":11063,"date":"2015-08-10T08:12:56","date_gmt":"2015-08-10T13:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=11063"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:07:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:07:53","slug":"holmes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=11063","title":{"rendered":"Holmes brings message of inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tia<\/a>
Tia Holmes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy as a child, Tia Holmes\u2019 speech and movement are affected by the disability.<\/p>\n

But that does not define her. And ever since middle school, she\u2019s been fighting to not let a disability define or exclude anybody else, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people think I\u2019m not as smart, or as able, and that\u2019s really not the case,\u201d she said. \u201cI know what it\u2019s like to be judged based on my cerebral palsy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holmes has been working to make organizations and communities recognize the benefits of inclusion for everyone. As an incoming first-year computer science<\/a> student, she is planning to share the message of inclusion to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and be an advocate for a new community.<\/p>\n

\u201cInclusion is a big, broad concept that I would like to bring to Chapel Hill,\u201d the Cary High School graduate said. \u201cIt\u2019s already a very open-minded community, but I would still like to bring more awareness to inclusion and diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Growing up in Cary, North Carolina, Holmes has always been an advocate for herself. But having experienced firsthand what it\u2019s like to be excluded, she decided to take her advocacy to a larger scale as a middle schooler when she applied to attend a national conference.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Holmes was the youngest person to be invited to attend the National Youth Inclusion Summit in Washington, D.C. There, she was among 20 teenagers from across the county who created and launched a new campaign called \u201cI Am Norm<\/a>.\u201d The goal of the campaign: raise awareness about inclusion, provide opportunities for youth to share their ideas about inclusion and promote inclusive practices in schools and communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I feel more people need to know about,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cI feel like a lot of people are afraid of people with disabilities and I want to help them understand what inclusion is and that it isn\u2019t that hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after the formation of \u201cI Am Norm,\u201d Holmes was invited by the White House to speak at the National Council on Disability\u2019s National Disability Policy Summit, which was held in honor of the 20th<\/sup> anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.<\/p>\n

Five years removed from her initial push into the national advocacy role, Holmes has turned her attention to working one-on-one with specific organizations. By spending more time advocating on her own, she is working to spread the message of inclusion through presentations, trainings and speeches.<\/p>\n

Recently, the teen met with over 150 Girl Scout volunteers and staff to find a way to make the youth organization more inclusive for people of all abilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that inclusion of people of all abilities is something that is very important to any community or group,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s important that people understand what inclusion is. It\u2019s forming an actual relationship and emotional bond between people.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Holmes heads to Carolina, she plans on continuing to spread the concept of inclusion to both local and national organizations. And through programs such as inclusive theater, she is ready to bring her message to UNC-Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been someone that talked about equality and fairness,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve always been an advocate. \u2026 It\u2019s about helping to create a more open and inclusive community environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Brandon Bieltz, UNC Office of Communications and Public Affairs<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is part of the “New Year, New Faces” series. As UNC-Chapel Hill prepares to begin a new fall semester, UNC Communications profiles some of the new Tar Heels who will be looking to innovate, educate, serve \u2013 and change the world.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy as a child, incoming first-year computer science student Tia Holmes\u2019 speech and movement are affected by the disability. But that does not define her. 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