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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

December Organizer’s Forum: The Disability Rights Movement, Post-Election

The December meeting of the Organizer’s Forum, a monthly teleconference, will feature a conversation about the disability rights movement and how we can gather input from around the country for a post-election agenda.

The call will be facilitated by Mark Johnson of the Shepherd Center in Atlanta Georgia and participants will include several leaders from the National Disability Leadership Alliance (NDLA):

  • Kelly Buckland, National Council on Independent Living
  • Amber Smock, ADAPT and Access Living
  • Paul Tobin and Alexandra Bennewith, United Spinal Association
  • Organizers’ Forum Co-Coordinator Diane Coleman, Not Dead Yet
  • and many others 

How to Join:

  • Tuesday, December 11, 1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern time (12:00 – 1:00 Central, 11:00 – 12:00 Mountain, 10:00 – 11:00 Pacific)
  • Call in number:  1-213-342-3000 (note new number)
  • Code: 193134#

Questions:

  • How do we in the disability rights movement decide what issues require immediate action?
  • How do we stay connected and communicate regularly?
  • What roles are individual leaders and groups playing in the movement? Are there gaps? What opportunities exist?
  • How visible and relevant is our community in DC? In the state capitals?
  • Why weren’t we able to get the presidential candidates to the National Forum?
  • How can disability advocates at the local and state level connect with disability rights activism nationally?
  • 2015 is the 25th Anniversary of the ADA, what’s being planned?

Accommodations:

The call will have real-time captioning (CART)! Go to the CART web page. If you need additional accommodations to participate in the call, please let us know as soon as possible.

Mark your calendars: the Organizer’s Forum hosts a call on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Eastern.  If you have suggestions for call topics or presenters for upcoming topics, please email them to [email protected] or [email protected].

More Information:

Background:

The Organizing Workgroup of the National Disability Leadership Alliance hosts these calls the third Tuesday of every month as a resource for disability organizers, in an effort toward building the organizing capacity of the disability community across the country.  They generally follow the format of a welcome followed by 2-3 experts in a given area speaking for a few minutes on their experiences, advice and challenges. The calls include a 20-30 minute question and answer period.

To ask questions via CART: Sign-in to the chat function on the right side of the transcript and type your question.  One of the call facilitators will read out any questions posted there.

Because we want to maximize the generously donated CART services, we will begin the call promptly at 1:00 p.m. and end the call promptly at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.  A few other reminders about call etiquette:

  • Say your name before each time you speak
  • Speak one at a time
  • Speak slowly and as clearly as possible