Adil Ashraf-Mayo was initially supposed to be on the administrative team for the Civic Leadership Institute. Recruited by Brittney Drakeford from The Capital Market, he was supposed to work on the data analytics needs for the Institute. However, when he learned more about the Civic Leadership Institute and the work he could be doing for the community, he immediately signed up as a participant. “I joined the institute because I’m new to the area. […] I did my Master’s in Public Policy and Data Analytics and I have this intrinsic interest in public policy, especially for local communities, and I want to be an advocate for them,” he said.
On the first day he met Dahlia, who explained her concerns regarding accessibility needs in the area. Because she was looking for someone with a background in academia or data analytics, the two paired up immediately for their capstone project. “Dahlia took a lot of the initiative,” he said. “Dahlia has a lot of experience in disability and contacts in the area and I really appreciate Dahlia for keeping me involved.”
Adil had previously worked as a consultant and worked for large corporations and government organizations. He wanted to bring this experience and perspective to their project. “Initially what we were trying to do is come up with a tool to gauge the different levels of density with different kinds of disabilities in the Blue Line Corridor. […] It is a very under-researched area. Measuring these needs will hopefully lead to an inclusion project in this area.”
Adil and Dahlia were hopeful about the Blue Kline Corridor development and the efforts to develop the areas around the Capitol Heights and Addison Road metro stops. “We want people with disabilities to be included in any type of development in this area,’ he said. “But the first step is to assess what zip codes they’re mostly in and what their demographics exactly are.”
However, they are struggling with their own ability to stay invested when met with financial barriers. Adil expressed that the team has been seeking support through grants, not only to reward their participants but also to hold the team accountable to making the work come to fruition. “Dahlia came up with a few ways to raise funds. We’re still at the initial stages even though we have an idea of the impact we’re very flexible about the content.” Adil and Dahlia are currently reaching out to local nonprofits for support and also assessing ways they can distribute their survey throughout the community. Their hope is to use the survey to inform public policy and use that as a model for other counties development efforts, ensuring they place accessibility and inclusion at the forefront.”
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