38 min

#062: Joe Clayton’s Story Institutionalization and Building His Life Afterward Empowering Ability Podcast

    • Self-Improvement

I'm honored to bring you this conversation I recorded with Joe Clayton. Joe is a survivor of Rideau Regional Center; an institution closed in Smith Falls, Ontario.
"We as the people, disabilities, we cry just like everybody else. We laugh like everybody else. We are human beings, just like everybody else. And like I said before, we just want the world to know we are not monsters who got out of institutions. We are human beings, and we need to be respected and to be loved. And we don't need to be treated like babies. We need to be treated like a human being and we... Yeah, that's it." - Joe Clayton
While being institutionalized as a child, Joe experienced several traumas and injustices and traumatic experiences which he shares with us in this podcast episode. Joe also shares his life after being institutionalized, and through his faith, he found forgiveness and the courage to live life. Joe is an indigenous man and a creative who expresses his creativity through photography and art. Joe now lives with his partner, Christina. Before you listen to this conversation with Joe, I want to warn you that Joe describes many of the horrific acts performed and forced on him. The description of these acts might be triggering for some listeners. Note: There is a full transcription of this podcast at the bottom of this post.
This conversation with Joe was recorded on April 16, 2020, and the time of this publication is September 1, 2020. A lot has changed in our world since I recorded this conversation with Joe Clayton. COVID-19 and its global impacts have been a significant stressor on our families, including mine. As well, there's been an awakening to the social justice issues in our world for black people, indigenous people, and people of color. So at the beginning of this episode, I share my stance and Empowering Ability's stance on antiracism, and what I'm doing to be an active antiracist. CLICK HERE for to read Empowering Ability's Antiracism commitment on our homepage.
Check out Joe Claytons Art and Photography on Facebook
Contact Joe Clayton: williamjc53@gmail.com

Below are some examples of Joe Clayton's Artwork and Photography









 


Podcast transcription below was completed by Otter.ai. Please note that this transcription was completed word by word in the conversation and hasn't been corrected for written grammar.

Eric Goll 00:22
Hi, I'm Eric Goll and today I'm honored to bring you a conversation I recorded with Joe Clayton and Joe is a survivor of Rideau Regional Center, an institution that closed located in Smith Falls, Ontario. And this conversation with Joe was recorded on April 16 2020. Today being September 1 2020, at the time of this publication, and a lot has changed in our world since I publish or since I recorded rather this conversation with Joe Clayton. COVID-19 and its global impacts have been a major stressor stressor on our families, including mine. as well. There's been an awakening to the social justice issues in our world for black people, indigenous people and people of color. So before I share this conversation with Joe Clayton with you, I'm going to share my stance and Empowering Ability's stance on antiracism, and what I'm doing to be antiracis. We are committed to the work of anti racism. We are learning about anti-black racism, anti-indigenous racism, and how white privilege and superiority impact the people and communities we serve and that I serve. I am aware of the intersection of disability, LGBT LGBTQ plus and how that increases the societal devaluation of bipoc. We must continue to have uncomfortable conversations to dismantle systematic racial barriers that have blocked social and economic progress for black and indigenous peoples for generations as well as people with disabilities. We know that the first step towards change is to speak up. And we want to be very clear, Black Lives Matter to Empowering Ability, and we commit to no longer being silent or neutral as we move tow

I'm honored to bring you this conversation I recorded with Joe Clayton. Joe is a survivor of Rideau Regional Center; an institution closed in Smith Falls, Ontario.
"We as the people, disabilities, we cry just like everybody else. We laugh like everybody else. We are human beings, just like everybody else. And like I said before, we just want the world to know we are not monsters who got out of institutions. We are human beings, and we need to be respected and to be loved. And we don't need to be treated like babies. We need to be treated like a human being and we... Yeah, that's it." - Joe Clayton
While being institutionalized as a child, Joe experienced several traumas and injustices and traumatic experiences which he shares with us in this podcast episode. Joe also shares his life after being institutionalized, and through his faith, he found forgiveness and the courage to live life. Joe is an indigenous man and a creative who expresses his creativity through photography and art. Joe now lives with his partner, Christina. Before you listen to this conversation with Joe, I want to warn you that Joe describes many of the horrific acts performed and forced on him. The description of these acts might be triggering for some listeners. Note: There is a full transcription of this podcast at the bottom of this post.
This conversation with Joe was recorded on April 16, 2020, and the time of this publication is September 1, 2020. A lot has changed in our world since I recorded this conversation with Joe Clayton. COVID-19 and its global impacts have been a significant stressor on our families, including mine. As well, there's been an awakening to the social justice issues in our world for black people, indigenous people, and people of color. So at the beginning of this episode, I share my stance and Empowering Ability's stance on antiracism, and what I'm doing to be an active antiracist. CLICK HERE for to read Empowering Ability's Antiracism commitment on our homepage.
Check out Joe Claytons Art and Photography on Facebook
Contact Joe Clayton: williamjc53@gmail.com

Below are some examples of Joe Clayton's Artwork and Photography









 


Podcast transcription below was completed by Otter.ai. Please note that this transcription was completed word by word in the conversation and hasn't been corrected for written grammar.

Eric Goll 00:22
Hi, I'm Eric Goll and today I'm honored to bring you a conversation I recorded with Joe Clayton and Joe is a survivor of Rideau Regional Center, an institution that closed located in Smith Falls, Ontario. And this conversation with Joe was recorded on April 16 2020. Today being September 1 2020, at the time of this publication, and a lot has changed in our world since I publish or since I recorded rather this conversation with Joe Clayton. COVID-19 and its global impacts have been a major stressor stressor on our families, including mine. as well. There's been an awakening to the social justice issues in our world for black people, indigenous people and people of color. So before I share this conversation with Joe Clayton with you, I'm going to share my stance and Empowering Ability's stance on antiracism, and what I'm doing to be antiracis. We are committed to the work of anti racism. We are learning about anti-black racism, anti-indigenous racism, and how white privilege and superiority impact the people and communities we serve and that I serve. I am aware of the intersection of disability, LGBT LGBTQ plus and how that increases the societal devaluation of bipoc. We must continue to have uncomfortable conversations to dismantle systematic racial barriers that have blocked social and economic progress for black and indigenous peoples for generations as well as people with disabilities. We know that the first step towards change is to speak up. And we want to be very clear, Black Lives Matter to Empowering Ability, and we commit to no longer being silent or neutral as we move tow

38 min