The Disability Equity Center (DEC) in Corvallis, OR is a community center made by and for disabled people. Our offerings are concentrated in three areas: 1) Disability Culture and Pride, 2) Resource and Network Navigation, and 3) Community Outreach and Education.
Disability Culture and Pride
We are an organization built on disability culture, pride, and a fierce determination to make the world equitable for everyone. We bring disabled people from the margins of society to the center and offers a safe space for coalition, community building, and social connection.
Resource and Network Navigation
The DEC serves as a resource center for disabled people and our allies, and it enables specific, concrete connections between people across the Corvallis disability community and beyond. We support disabled community building through support groups and monthly virtual events. Our network includes contacts and resources in education, arts and culture-making, care work, and more.
Community Outreach and Education
We also help educate our local community about ableism to change social misperceptions about people with disabilities. Disabled people are often stigmatized, undervalued, and left out of mainstream culture and community. The DEC imagines a world where disabled people have full social participation and equitable access to jobs and resources. We want a world where everyone understands that disability can be powerful and beautiful, and in which disability culture can thrive. Instead of fearing disability or turning away from individuals whose bodies and minds seem different, we are working towards a future where people truly embrace one another—not just tolerate but lovingly witness, support, and learn from people with diverse bodyminds and experiences.