Vanessa Harris, PE appeared on ABC7 Chicago Eyewitness News after being awarded as a Leader for a New Chicago. She discussed the honor with ABC7anchor Terrell Brown. The transcript of the clip follows.
https://abc7chicago.com/leaders-for-a-new-chicago-award-vanessa-harris-loeaders-2023/13498069/
Terrell Brown and Vanessa Harris during the interview.
VANESSA HARRIS: Hi, I’m Vanessa Harris. I’m originally from Chicago, Illinois. I spent 15 years in Texas, but I moved back here about ten years ago, and I’m staying here.
TERRELL BROWN: And she’s staying here.
VANESSA HARRIS: I love Chicago.
TERRELL BROWN: I love hearing that. Vanessa Harris is making Chicago proud this morning.
She was awarded the 2023 Leaders for a New Chicago Award for her role as one of Chicago’s transformational leaders. She is the founder and CEO of Strategy for Access. It’s a nonprofit organization that advocates for people with visible and invisible disabilities. Vanessa’s organization is also getting a $25,000 grant, and Vanessa is here this morning to talk more about her plans for that grant money.
Vanessa, good morning. It’s good to see you.
VANESSA HARRIS: – Thank you.
TERRELL BROWN: – I think you’re the busiest lady I know. And I’ll run through everything you’re doing in just a little bit. But first thing, you started just the nonprofit alone four years ago, right?
VANESSA HARRIS: – Yeah.
TERRELL BROWN: – How has that been?
VANESSA HARRIS: – That’s been amazing. – The organization started just with when I found out that I wanted to shoot documentaries.
TERRELL BROWN: – Yeah.
VANESSA HARRIS: – And I did my first documentary after taking a class at the Hyde Park Art Center. And it was on an inclusive art exhibit where if you were on wheels, You were very welcome in this art exhibit. And the artists told me I did a really good job doing the documentary and I should do more. 100 videos later…
TERRELL BROWN: – Oh my gosh, you are.
VANESSA HARRIS: – Here I am.
TERRELL BROWN: – Right, so look, I’ve got you as a licensed engineer, a filmmaker, you run this organization.
VANESSA HARRIS: – Yeah.
TERRELL BROWN: – How do you get all of this in every single day?
VANESSA HARRIS: – It’s hard.
TERRELL BROWN: – Yeah?
VANESSA HARRIS: – But it’s fun.
TERRELL BROWN: – Oh, nice. Very, very, very nice. So this nonprofit and the award that you got for the work that you do with the nonprofit, what is that award?
VANESSA HARRIS: – It is Leaders for a New Chicago from the Field Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation.
TERRELL BROWN: – Got it.
VANESSA HARRIS: – There were 10 of us that won the award this year.
TERRELL BROWN: – And so it comes with a $25,000 grant.
VANESSA HARRIS: – More.
TERRELL BROWN: – Whoa.
VANESSA HARRIS: – There’s $25,000 that goes to the organization that you support.
TERRELL BROWN: – Yeah.
VANESSA HARRIS: And then you get an additional grant as the individual.
TERRELL BROWN: And how much is that?
VANESSA HARRIS: $25,000.
TERRELL BROWN: Hello.You got some money to talk about.So what do you plan to do with all that money?
VANESSA HARRIS: Well, the money for the organization I’m using as the seed money because the organization believes that Chicago should be known internationally as a disability-friendly city.
TERRELL BROWN: – Oh, wow. – So– – Do you believe that by the way?
VANESSA HARRIS:- Yes.
TERRELL BROWN: – Yeah.
VANESSA HARRIS: – Yes, I do. And so we’re working on a project to show that tourist venues in Chicago are accessible. So we’re filming places like Lincoln Park Zoo, the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the DuSable Museum, and South Shore Cultural Center to show they’re accessible. And so people will know what to expect when they come to visit.
TERRELL BROWN: – That in mind, what help do you need to continue this mission? If somebody is watching right now and they’re going, you know what, I want to help Vanessa out.
What can they do?
VANESSA HARRIS: – They can contact me and say, I want to volunteer. I need people who are interested in learning how to do filmmaking, can communicate, and are interested in writing newsletters, writing blog posts, and doing research. And they can contact me at FUN@FUN4THEDISABLED.COM.
TERRELL BROWN: – There we go, we’ll make sure everybody gets that. And real quick before I let you go, dear, what’s next for you?
I mean, you’ve done a whole bunch. You got a list. You got any other plans coming up soon?
VANESSA HARRIS:- Well, I want to use the seed money for the project for something that I can’t really share yet.
TERRELL BROWN: – Ooh.
VANESSA HARRIS: – But I think that the city needs more planning for more events which are accessible. And we need to deal with things like the hotels, transportation, emergencies, all these things need to be addressed for people with disabilities.
TERRELL BROWN: Yep and that takes money and that’s where the donations come in and that’s where the help and having people come out and volunteer and help you out comes in too.
Vanessa, it’s really good to see you. Thank you for coming by and talking to us this morning.
VANESSA HARRIS: Thank you.
TERRELL BROWN: We appreciate it.
VANESSA HARRIS: Thank you so much.
TERRELL BROWN: Vanessa Harris right here, Strategy for Access.
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