February, 2024

Supporting Black Disabled Individuals this Black History Month

Continue reading to learn more about what is happening at ADA and throughout the greater world of disability, including perspectives about the intersection of race and disability this Black History Month.

As always, our teams have been busy this month. Reentry had several successful events in the community including presentations at Greene and Neuse Corrective Institutes. The reentry team also presented to the Duke Justice Project, a group of students at Duke University interested in reentry and criminal justice.

In Early February, the Carolina Sled Hockey Team participated in Ambassadors of Adaptive Sports in Beers of America’s Adaptive Sports Festival held at the John T. Rohodes Sports Center in Myrtle Beach, SC. Carolina Sled Hockey talked about the sport, but more importantly, spoke about the mental health benefits of participating in Adaptive Sports and the peer support that is received. The team displayed and talked about the adaptive equipment needed for Sled Hockey. We also got to watch Team USA vs Whales in a Wheelchair Rugby match.
2024 Youth Leadership Forum Information
In partnership with Youth LEAD NC, we are excited to announce that delegate applications for the 2024 Youth Leadership Forum are now available to fill out!

This event is an annual multi-day program that fosters emerging youth and young adult leaders in NC by teaching them how to advocate in their communities and for themselves. It will be held from July 20th to 24th, 2024 at NC State University.

Delegate applications are due by March 1st, 2024. To learn more about the Youth Leadership Forum and apply, click here.

Current Happenings in the Disability World

Remembering Intersectionality this Black History Month
This Black History Month (and beyond), we want to take the chance to amplify the voices of Black disabled people in our community. The intersection of race and disability identity is an important one for many people with lived experience. As with all discussions of intersectionality, it is important to note that understanding the experiences of people who are both Black and disabled is not as simple as adding up those individual identities. There are concerns that fall in the intersection of these two identities that neither Black non-disabled people nor White disabled individuals experience.

As Johnnie Lacy, a social justice pioneer and a founding member of the Center for Independent Living said: “It has been problematic for blacks to identify with disability. My classmates would have had to accept my disability within the same intellectual framework as my blackness–that of an oppressed minority opposite. I believe that African Americans see disability in the same way that everybody else sees it–worthless, mindless–without realizing that this is the same attitude held by others toward African Americans. This belief in effect cancels out the black identity they share with a disabled black person, both socially and culturally, because the disability experience is not viewed in the same context as if one were only black, and not disabled. Because of this myopic view, I as a black disabled person could not share in the intellectual dialogue viewed as exclusive. I could be one or the other but not both.”

We encourage you to read the articles listed below to learn more about this intersectional identity directly from people with lived experience.
A Shared Struggle for Equality: Disability Rights and Racial Justice
Legal Defense Fund | Marisa Wright | July 31, 2023

Why Black Disabled History Matters
World Institute on Disability | Dikko Yusuf | Feb 22, 2023

‘You Have to Scream Out:’ Being Black and Disabled is a Constant Struggle
The Atlantic | Shalene Gupta | Sep 21, 2021

Disability and other identities?—how do they intersect?
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences | Mary Wickenden | Aug 10, 2023

Understanding the Policing of Black, Disabled Bodies
Center for American Progress | Vilissa Thompson | Feb 10, 2021

How To Make Policies Work for Black Women With Disabilities
Center for American Progress | Megan Buckles | Feb 15, 2022

Disability doesn’t discriminate: health inequities at the intersection of race and disability
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences | Brooke Dorsey Holliman, Michelle Stransky, Nathalie Dieujuste, and Megan Morris | Jul 6, 2023

"I'm unashamedly embracing every aspect of my identity and ensuring the world knows it."

― Andréa LaVant, Social Justice Advocate

Want to Join our Board?
Alliance of Disability Advocates is looking for individuals to join our Board of Directors. See more information and learn how to apply on our website at https://adanc.org/about-us/board/
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If you want more frequent updates about events and occurrences related to the disability community in the triangle area, follow our Facebook page. Search Alliance of Disability Advocates or go to  facebook.com/AllianceCIL

What We're Reading

by Jaymie Baxley | Feb 29, 2024
Content Warning: self-harm and suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 18 to 35 in North Carolina. It claims more lives than homicide, and its toll on young adults is surpassed only by motor vehicle accidents and unintentional drug overdoses…
by Steven Aquino | Feb 20, 2024
Starbucks thinks accessibility pairs well its coffee. Late last week, the Seattle-based company announced “new accessibility guidelines” for its United States stores aimed at making them more accessible to and inclusive of disabled people…
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Past Newsletters

February 2024 – Supporting Black Disabled Individuals this Black History Month
January 2024 – Looking Forward to 2024
December 2023 – Happy Holidays from ADA!
November 2023 – Join Us at Our Greenville Open House
October 2023 – Grand Opening and Other Events for ADA Coming Soon!
September 2023 – Section 504 Anniversary and Updates, Getting Involved with ADA, and more!
August 2023 – Exciting Updates, Changes with Voting, and Staying Safe
July 2023 – Disability Pride Month Events and FAQs
June 2023 – Medicaid Changes, Pride Month, and Staying Connected
May 2023 – Mental Health Awareness Month, Casino Night, and More!
April 2023 – Casino Night, Autism Acceptance Month, and More!
March 2023 – ADANC’s Newsletter is back
June 2022 – Alliance Success Stories | Looking Back at Olmstead | and More!
May 2022 – Alliance Success Stories | Hurricane Season Guide | Casino Night Recap and More!
April 2022 – Alliance Success Stories | The Impact of Your Support | Resource of the Month and More!
March 2022 – Alliance Success Stories | Casino Night – Pre Order Tickets Now! | Resource of the Month and More!
February 2022 – Alliance Success Stories | Casino Night – Pre Order Tickets Now! | NCCDD Self-Advocate Series and More
January 2022 – Ed Roberts and the IL Movement | Casino Night – Pre Order Tickets Now! | Hear From our Board Member, and More
December 2021 – Happy Holidays From ADANC! | Consumer Success Stories, New Board Officers and More!
Newsletter 2021 – Support Alliance of Disability Advocates this Giving Tuesday! | Consumer Success Stories and More!
October 2021 – Don’t Miss This Consumer Success Story | Disability Employment Awareness Month | and More!
September 2021 – Peer Support during the Pandemic, COVID-19 Booster Shot Updates, and More
August 2021 – Peak Hurricane Season! Success Stories and More
July 2021 – Celebrating Disability Pride Month with Alliance of Disability Advocates!
June 2021 – Consumers Talk Travel Training! Community Living Success, COVID-19 Vaccine Info and More
May 2021 – Hold Up Those Keys! Housing Success Stories, NCYLF, COVID Resources & More!
April 2021 – Carolina Sled Hockey 2021 SESHL Champs!, Housing Success and More!
March 2021 – Carolina Sled Hockey Heads to the Championship, Peer Support Success and More!
February 2021 – ADANC – Check Out Autism Grown Up, and More!
January 2021 – Happy New Year From ADANC!
December 2020 – ADANC Celebrates YOU This Holiday!
November 2020 – Travel Training, Peer Support, and More!
October 2020 – Enabling Art: Celebrating 30 Years of the ADA
September 2020 – Join Us for Enabling Art – A Virtual Celebration
August 2020 – Travel Training, Overcoming Challenges, Board Spotlight and More!
July 2020 – This Month, We Celebrate 30 Years of Progress
June 2020 – ADANC News: Casino Night 10/9 – Pre-Order Today!
May 2020 – Consumer Success, Casino Night, and More!
April 2020 – Stay Home, Stay Connected – ADANC News
March 2020 – COVID-19 Health Tips, Resiliency, and More
February 2020 – Sharing Success – See What ADANC is About!
January 2020 – ADA 2020 Newsletter