Click here to listen to Justice Shorter on the Voices of Vision Leaders Podcast
Disclaimer: Justice spoke to us independent of any specific organizational affiliation. As such, all opinions and comments are her own.
Meet Justice Shorter, one of our inspiring keynote speakers for our Executive Leadership Conference (VSAELC) 2022. Justice is the National Disaster Protection Advisor for America’s Protection & Advocacy System as well as a global facilitator/trainer on issues related to fires, disasters, humanitarian crises and other emergencies.
She is also a Disability Justice advocate, Black Disabled Lives Matter amplifier, and a national expert on disability-inclusive disaster protections. VisionServe Alliance recently sat down with Justice on a new episode of our podcast, Voices of Vision Leaders, to discuss her career and what she plans to bring to this year’s Executive Leadership Conference.
No Time to Waste
Justice began as a youth journalist in 2005, where she wrote on topics such as community development, humanitarian affairs, and youth empowerment. She received a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Justice & Peace Studies from Marquette University. After that, Justice earned her M.A. in Sustainable Development and authored three inclusion guides for the U.S. State Department. She has interned within the White House Office of Public Engagement & Intergovernmental Affairs and produced multiple people-centered projects with various organizations.
Access to equity and justice, she says, is at the core of what she does, whether that is in the workplace, classroom, hospital, or courtroom. “No longer are folks asking, or even accepting, the premise that we should sit back and wait until it is our time.”
The Intersection of Justice
Justice’s work sits at the intersection of disaster, race, disability, and gender justice.
“They are inextricably linked,” she said. “You cannot have a conversation about disaster justice without also being inclusive of a disability justice perspective. Those who are most impacted by disasters and crises, more often than not, tend to be individuals with disabilities.”
She further states that these disasters also disproportionally affect minority populations, “People tend to cherry-pick what they focus on and push everything out as if we live single-issue lives, which we do not.”
Power Moves
At the Executive Leadership Conference, Justice will present her keynote, “Power Moves: Transforming Leadership by Centering Marginalized Communities.” which will expand on many topics she introduces in her episode of Voices of Vision Leaders. This immersive session will equip executive leaders with equitable strategies for recruiting and retaining more Black, Indigenous & Other People Of Color with disabilities. It will focus on issues at the intersection of Racial Justice, disability Justice, and Gender Justice.
Join us in person in beautiful Tampa this spring! VSA invites industry professionals and leaders to provide service to or with people who are blind or have low vision to reflect on our industry’s impact on society and share ideas for a transformative future. The 3-day event will offer opportunities to attend exceptional learning and networking sessions on topical issues, including specific learning tracks for CEOs, Programing, Fundraising/Administration, and Advocacy.