Activism and Advocacy

Educating the world about disability is how we make progress toward change. Take some time to learn about the advocacy issues that matter most to the disability community, the different approaches to activism, and what issues drive activists to continue fighting.

Hand holding a megaphone. The megaphone is white and red, and the red part fades off into multicolored paint splatters

I’m a Disability Activist Because I Have to Be, But Not Always Because I Want to Be

“Congratulations,” “this is amazing Shona,” “well done!” All of these are well meaning and probably deserved comments that I often receive in response to results from my activism work, but more recently they’ve felt less like positive encouragement and more…

Shards of broken glass scattered on a gray floor.

Picking Up the Pieces of Broken Glass: A Lesson in Speaking Up For Myself

From the corner of my eye I saw our patio umbrella catch the wind and pirouette off the deck. No big deal. It was March 2020, and this had happened before. Later that day, however, my husband J.P. and I…

The full English alphabet in three rows. Each letter is embroidered in a different color against a white background.

I’m Tech-Savvy, But I Choose to Use a Low-Tech Form of Assisted Communication. Here’s Why.

I have been using technology since I was two years old. I have cerebral palsy, and my preschool for disabled kids put us on computers as early as age two. In fact, for my third birthday, when my dad asked…

A series of three gradually fading images of the International Symbol of Access (wheelchair symbol). They are blue on a white background. The first is drawn with a solid line, the second with a dotted line, and the third with an even fainter dotted line.

The Hardest Part of Being Disabled is Being Ignored

Content note: includes discussion of COVID-19 and racism World, I have so much to tell you. The question is, are you ready to listen? Because people with muscular dystrophy tend to die of respiratory failure, I’ve long expected to choke…

A white wall is completely covered in 8” x 10” abstract charcoal drawings. Some of the imagery includes a microscopic view of COVID-19, a pile of hoarded toilet paper, a doctor, a person using forearm crutches, two people hugging, along with various handwritten notes.

The Dearest Friends Project: A Global Art Collaboration Centering Disability During COVID-19

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. My Dearest Friends, We mustn’t let this be forgotten- the time the world gained Perspective on a small portion of our struggles.…

Two nondescript drawings of faces, facing one another. One is shaded in with gray and black, the other, is white.

The Complexities of “Passing” as Nondisabled

“Passing privilege” is a term used to describe what people of minority identities experience when they appear as though they’re not part of that minority group. It means you may not experience the same oppression and problems as others who…

Part of a check with a fountain pen resting on top.

How Can You Support the Disability Community? Pay Us for Our Work.

We all know the struggle of wanting something and knowing you’re unlikely to get it. But when that extends to employment, and more specifically to the employment of disabled people, it goes beyond wanting the unlikely. It’s a matter of…

Illustration of a pink megaphone with yellow lightning shaped soundwaves coming out of it, on a teal background.

Reflecting on ADA 30 While Reckoning with COVID-19 and Racism

Content note: includes mentions of COVID-19 and police brutality toward Black people 2020 brought us the COVID-19 pandemic and shed a stark light on the pandemic of racism. The impact of both these pandemics continues to grow and serve as…

Black Lives Matter

This page was created to serve as a central place for people looking to support the movement to end violence and systemic racism towards Black people. Whether it’s donating to organizations that contribute to Black liberation, learning new strategies to become a better ally, or purchasing goods from a Black-owned business, there are many ways to make a difference.