Public storytelling guide

Your practical goal is to host a storytelling event that showcases the stories of people with IDD in your community. You can alter the plan, but we suggest five storytellers and in-person workshops and show.

Step 06

Identify the storytellers.

  1. Step 1:

    Identify your partner program

    Partner with a local arts program for people with IDD or another program that feels like a good fit, you could gather all your storytellers there. That will make workshopping and other logistics much easier. You can also do a callout but that can be tricky if you’re not super well-sourced in the IDD community in your market. You can also reach out to national groups (hint: they almost all have state/local chapters) including The Arc of the U.S., National Down Syndrome Congress, United Cerebral Palsy, Best Buddies International.

  2. Step 2:

    Share the one-pager

    Sometimes programs ask for an explanation of the event and an understanding of what they need to provide for you. Here is a one-pager that we used to clearly lay out expectations and intent.

    Use this Storytelling Project One-Pager with the organization you want to partner with

  3. Step 3:

    Get permission from guardians

    Not every person with IDD has a guardian; but many do and you’ll want to find that out early in the process and get a form signed. This form will make sure that all parties understand what they are agreeing to in writing. Here is an example.

    Make sure to also give storytellers and guardians a detailed schedule of the program. This schedule should include workshop logistics, event logistics and arrival time.