Accessibility Specialist

mvilches@njcasa.org

Areas of Expertise

Autism self-advocacy
Survivor-centered advocacy
Latinx & LGBTQ Advocacy
Anti-oppression & racism
Self & Community Care
Disability Justice

Miraj is responsible for supporting NJCASA’s programs and initiatives through the lenses of accessibility, anti-oppression, and intersectionality. She believes that in order to effectively serve survivors, community partners, and NJCASA’s membership we must address issues holistically and consider the whole person, not just parts. Miraj is responsible for expanding access in regards to training and organizational work culture, as well as building program staff’s capacity to serve survivors at the margins.

More specifically, Miraj assists with planning and coordination of accommodations for NJCASA, including but not limited to: closed captioning, translation/transcreation, interpretation, and assistive technology. They promote programs and initiatives to sexual violence service programs and the community, provide ongoing technical assistance and resources to program membership staff, and ensure NJCASA goes beyond compliance in making their services and programs accessible.

Their interest in, and exposure to, humanitarian and social justice efforts at a young age led to a specific interest in the anti-sexual violence movement. While she doesn’t have a degree, she believes in the school of lived experience, authenticity, intentionality, ethicality, and passion to learn. Having an eclectic set of interests has afforded Miraj an equally-eclectic professional experience. They have worked in the television and film industry, where they were able to see the impact media has on our society’s beliefs, particularly power-based violence, firsthand. Miraj also has a decade of experience within the anti-sexual violence field, having worked at the local level at the Center For Family Services’ Services Empowering Rights of Victims (SERV) program as a Residential Advocate and Prevention Coordinator; at the Pine Hill Borough Police Department, where she continued supporting survivors as a member of the Camden County Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition; and finally as the Lead Prevention Coordinator at CONTACT of Burlington County.

In her spare time, she enjoys her various hobbies in the arts, visiting museums and antique shops, sitting in nature, discussing spirituality and religion, playing video games, generally “nerding out”, and hanging out with her spouse and furry companions.