Holmes brings message of inclusion
Tia Holmes has dealt with her fair share of challenges with mild cerebral palsy. Now the incoming first-years wants to be an advocate for inclusion for everyone.
Diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy as a child, Tia Holmes’ speech and movement are affected by the disability.
But that does not define her. And ever since middle school, she’s been fighting to not let a disability define or exclude anybody else, either.
“A lot of people think I’m not as smart, or as able, and that’s really not the case,” she said. “I know what it’s like to be judged based on my cerebral palsy.”
Holmes has been working to make organizations and communities recognize the benefits of inclusion for everyone. As an incoming first-year computer science 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.
“Inclusion is a big, broad concept that I would like to bring to Chapel Hill,” the Cary High School graduate said. “It’s already a very open-minded community, but I would still like to bring more awareness to inclusion and diversity.”
Growing up in Cary, Holmes has always been an advocate for herself. But having experienced firsthand what it’s 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.
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 “I Am Norm.” 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.
“It’s something I feel more people need to know about,” Holmes said. “I 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’t that hard.”
Shortly after the formation of “I Am Norm,” Holmes was invited by the White House to speak at the National Council on Disability’s National Disability Policy Summit, which was held in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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.
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.
“I think that inclusion of people of all abilities is something that is very important to any community or group,” she said. “It’s important that people understand what inclusion is. It’s forming an actual relationship and emotional bond between people.”
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.
“I’ve always been someone that talked about equality and fairness,” she said. “I’ve always been an advocate. … It’s about helping to create a more open and inclusive community environment.”
