Mission Statement
Disability is powerful and beautiful! Disability Equity Center (DEC) is a disability justice nonprofit organization in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon. DEC is made for disabled people by disabled people. Together in community, DEC connects, empowers, amplifies, and celebrates people with disabilities.
Our Values and Practices
The Disability Equity Center values:
- disability community, culture, and pride
- equal voice for all members
- excellence in access
- disability identity and processes of self-discovery in which disabled people can explore all facets of their identities
- diverse representation of disability experience across race, gender, sexuality, and nationality
- education and the possibility of learning from each other about topics like gender, sexuality, work, education, family, care work, housing, and access
- coordinated healthcare navigation and resource sharing to better support people with disabilities
- community partnerships and connections with allies that fill support gaps, educate, and connect diverse individuals and organizations invested in disability access and equity
The DEC community practices:
- respect, compassion, and dignity
- fairness and integrity
- the recognition and honoring of difference
- full accessibility and low barrier participation
- the centering of disabled peoples’ voices and values
- an honoring of the authority of experience
- equal treatment of individuals no matter their disability