Alicia Barlow and daughter Morgan Anderson
administrators and tapped the expertise of an aunt whose son has cerebral palsy. “She was an advocate for my cousin and knew the system,” Alicia said. “She understood supports and could speak the lingo. She knew how to help me help my daughter.” Alicia said her aunt made a special trip from Washington, D.C., to Indianapolis to accompany her during a visit with the school psychologist and to demand the development of an individualized educational plan (IEP) for Morgan. After quite a bit of back-and-forth with the school administration and her insurance company, Alicia said, Morgan finally got the support she needed. “We went from D’s and F’s to straight A’s. My daughter currently advocates for herself, knows what’s in her IEP, understands the supports she needs and knows what works for her,” Alicia said. “It took about four years for us to get here, but there has been a complete turnaround.”
Morgan is equally proud of how far she’s come and said she’s not defined by her learning challenges or by the expectations of those who don’t understand them. “There is so much more to me than what you see,” Morgan said. Alicia and her daughter’s triumphant journey led to them being recognized as Parent Advocate and Student Advocate of the Year, respectively. Alicia said her experience with her daughter has emboldened her passion and commitment to help other families and students who are struggling with unseen disabilities as well as those who face other challenges. “I even correlate this to my work managing language and translation services here at Ascension because it mirrors the situation with my daughter,” Alicia said. “Here’s a population of people who are experiencing communications challenges. It’s similar to dyslexia. If individuals can’t speak, read or understand a language,
how can they communicate? It’s our responsibility to provide the necessary support to them.” Alicia said the work she leads to provide translation and interpretation services for individuals with limited English proficiency served by the northern and southern regions of the Indiana Ministry Market plays an important role in supporting health equity for those with challenges. “Individuals need to receive their health information in the language and format they can understand to comply with the guidance of their doctors, to read prescriptions and to get the care they need,” she said. “This work helps further Ascension’s commitment to providing equitable outcomes for all.’’ Equity is one of several ABIDE hallmarks Alicia believes everyone can use as a guide in support of those who face unseen challenges. “Just because someone has a disability, it doesn’t mean they can’t do the work,” she said. “We may work alongside leaders or colleagues every day who suffer from challenges we don’t know anything about. We must appreciate everyone for who they are, what they are and their ability status. It’s important to create safe spaces where people feel like they belong and are free to bring their unique gifts to the workplace. Likewise, it’s important to be inclusive for the same reasons.”
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