FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jody Yarborough 

February 4, 2011 Phone: 408-894-9041 ext. 220 

 

 

SVILC AND KASA TO HOST TRAINING FOR DISABLED KIDS ON 
STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH BULLYING AND TEASING IN SCHOOL 

 

SAN JOSE — The future of the disability justice movement will be determined by the youth 
with disabilities who choose to lead on. Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC) is 
continuing its commitment to the success of our movement by expanding its youth outreach 
program to include self-advocacy training for children with disabilities ages 9-13, in partnership 
with Kids As Self-Advocates (KASA) with the support of the California Health Incentives 
Improvement Project (CHIIP). 

 

The first self-advocacy training will be on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 12:30 p.m. to 5 
p.m. at SVILC, 2202 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95131. The day’s activities will include “kid –
friendly” strategies to talk about disability pride, how to deal with teasing and bullying and other 
disability related situations at school, on the playground and in the home. All SVILC workshops 
and trainings are free of charge. 

 

KASA is a national, grassroots project created by youth with disabilities for youth. Their website 
states, “We are teens and young adults with disabilities speaking out. KASA knows youth can 


make choices and advocate for themselves if they have the information and support they need.” 
KASA is a program of the non-profit organization Family Voices funded by the U.S. Maternal 
and Child Health Bureau. 

 

The California Health Incentives Improvement Project (CHIIP) is a multi-agency collaborative 
administered by the Interwork Institute of San Diego State University that works to remove 
barriers to employment and self-sufficiency of people with disabilities,. CHIIP is a strong 
supporter of youth transition activities including the KASA program, empowering youth with 
disabilities to have a positive self-image and to convey that to other youth, teachers, their family 
and the community in general. 

 

“Almost all of us who grew up with our disabilities have stories of being bullied, harassed, or 
teased in school and the community. Some kids once glued signs to my car windshield that read, 
‘Mentally Handicapped.’ We are responsible for creating a caring community that teaches all 
children that difference is not something to be singled out for bullying, but rather something that 
adds to the fabric of our humanity,” says Sarah Triano, SVILC’s Executive Director. 

 

SVILC’s is proud to offer Youth Peer Groups, a Youth Advisory Board, and a Youth Leadership 
Program that works to ensure that youth with disabilities in Santa Clara County have the tools 
and resources to grow into independent and contributing members of our community. 

 

For more information about the upcoming KASA event, or SVILC’s Youth Leadership Program, 
please contact Eliza Riley at elizar@svilc.org or call 408-894-9041 (voice), 866-945-2205 
(TTY), 408-457-8359 (Video Phone). 

 

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