From Self Advocate to Red Hat Lady

Storyteller Renée Lopez has lived a life of activism, challenging disability stereotypes, and deep friendships. She returns to True Tales with a new story "Me, Myself, and Sandra" about her experience as a Freshman at UT Austin. Host Kristen Gooch and Renée chat about Renée’s passion for social justice and her 40 years of Activism, fighting for Liberty and Justice for all.  Their discussion covers what Renée’s learned about self-advocacy, to her understanding of government oppression, her fight for accessible housing to her support of Black Lives Matter, as well as the importance of self-care and the power of friendships over 60 and becoming your own version of the Red Hat Ladies.

Guest Renee Lopez

I am a 61-year-old woman with a physical disability (I use a wheelchair).
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas. I have lived here my entire life. 
I graduated from the University of Texas in 1984 and 1986 with a BA and an M.Ed. respectively. I worked for the State of Texas for 30 years and am now retired. I have a long history of advocating for the rights of people with disabilities since 1982 as a student at The University of Texas. As a student with a life-long physical disability, I joined other students with disabilities for campus accessibility. I continue to advocate to this day. 
 I have been on the Advisory Board for SAFE Disability Services since 2010. I have attended conferences on behalf of SAFE as a workshop presenter teaching and informing conference attendees on issues of violence and abuse against persons with Disabilities. I am also a member of a core group of a coalition put together by the VERA Institute of Justice on ending violence against people with disabilities. 
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/renee.lopez.31945
Renee’s Accessible Housing video - AHA  Renee Lopez Accessibility Home Tour
"How Lucky" by Will Leitch

Host Kristen Gooch

Kristen Gooch is an Actress, Poet, and Advocate from Austin, Tx with Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility.  She hopes to broaden her horizons and branch out into film and television someday.  She currently facilitates a peer support group called Adapting Sheros for women with mobility disabilities through Imagineart.  She is a company member of TILT Performance Group and the Paradox Players.

Music Credits

1. Music by Scandinavianz from Pixabay
2. chikumbumtima-16488 pixabay.com
3. intro-effect-music-112907 pixabay.com
4. Isn't Life Amazing -BBMusic Pixabay.com
5. short-ukulele-jingle-cheerful-happy-and-bright-148415 Music by ShidenBeatsMusic from Pixabay
6. 
   

Click here to listen with the full transcript.

For more details about our programs go to Art Spark Texas, True Tales Podcast Page.