Too often, mental health is treated as separate from physical health and disability. This training reframes the conversation through a whole-person lens, emphasizing the inseparable connections between body, mind, and lived experience. It is designed to bridge the peer support and recovery movement with the principles of disability justice, highlighting how experiences such as unmanaged chronic pain leading to substance use, or barriers to accessibility fueling isolation and mental health challenges, are just some of the many intersections that shape people’s lives.

Participants will explore the social model of disability and the values of disability justice while also learning to navigate the nuances of language—both person-first and identity-first. The training will deepen understanding of neurodivergence and provide practical tools for addressing competing access needs, where multiple accessibility needs may intersect or conflict.

What is a Competing Access Need?
A competing access need occurs when two people’s accessibility needs appear to conflict with one another, and both require thoughtful consideration. Rather than viewing one person’s need as more important, the goal is to create creative, trauma-informed solutions that honor everyone’s right to access.

Some examples include:

• A Hard of Hearing individual may need the microphone volume turned up, while someone with a sensory processing disorder may feel overwhelmed by loud sounds.
• One person may rely on a service animal, while another may have severe allergies to animals.
• An LGBTQ+ community member may need a safe space to process feelings of religious shame or fear of sin, while another person in the same community may need protection from exposure to stigmatizing messages.
• A person with mobility challenges may need doors propped open for easier entry, while another may feel unsafe if doors cannot be closed for privacy or security.
• A person with PTSD may need the lights kept dim to reduce triggers, while another with low vision may need brighter lighting to participate fully.

By naming and working through these kinds of dynamics, peer supporters and facilitators can strengthen community spaces that balance safety, dignity, and inclusion for all.