NCIL Executive Director Kelly Buckland spoke as part of a group of national leaders on Thursday, November 10, 2106 at the National Press Club. The group released the following statement:
“The values of the civil and human rights movement are enduring and our commitment to justice, equality, fairness and opportunity do not change based on election results or control of the White House or Congress.
While we accept the results of this election, the bigoted rhetoric and divisive policies that the president-elect ran on are deeply troubling and have left many of us afraid that we won’t have a place in Donald Trump’s America.
The nation we know honors equal protection for all of its people, views its diversity as its strength, and strives to be a place where all people can live, work, and study as free and equal Americans.
We view this election as a nadir for these ideals and want nothing more than to move past the demagoguery and fear mongering of this campaign.
We are here today to declare that we will work with Congress and with the Trump Administration to find common ground in hopes of building an America that’s as good as its ideals.
But we will not be victims of a Trump Administration or a Congress that seeks to turn back the clock on our progress. We will continue to protect our most vulnerable and to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table.”
The Disability Community Must Be Represented
During the October ADA Civil Rights Subcommittee meeting, a discussion was had noting that many committees and workgroups are being formed within the current Administration or will be formed during the new Administration without representation from the disability community.
It is our opinion that the composition of these committees would violate Title II of the ADA by leaving our community out. Committees have been established by the Administration focusing on transportation, fair housing, and other issues, and they are not including us. Members of the NCIL ADA / Civil Rights Subcommittee have begun working on a statement following NCIL policy that can be released in the future.
ADA Civil Rights Subcommittee Meetings
The ADA / Civil Rights Subcommittee meets monthly via teleconference on the third Monday of the month at 3:00 Eastern. Individual NCIL members who would like to participate on the subcommittee should reach out to Steve Higgins [email protected].
