The Disability Equity Center was generated out of a series of community dialogues that took place during Fall 2019 and early 2020. These conversations involved disabled community members, healthcare providers, civil servants, paraprofessionals, artists, activists, teachers, and the friends, family members, and allies of disabled folks. Together we talked about what we wanted a disability-focused community resource to look like: who would be the focus? How would we accommodate multiple different needs and desires across disabilities and identities? What supports should such a resource offer? Would it be a brick-and-mortar center where people could gather, or would it be virtual, or mobile, or some combination of these?
As we know all too well, the Covid-19 pandemic swiftly arrived in the United States in late winter of 2020, and by March 2020 it had drastically changed many aspects of our lives. Most social, work, and other activities quickly transitioned to remote/online formats. Disabled folks have decades of experience in fostering online communities, and these practices have been put into action by the DEC network over the past year.
The DEC achieved 501(c)3 status in Fall 2020.
You can learn more about past, upcoming, and ongoing initiatives by checking out our “News and Events” page.