Disability rights advocates and supporters rallied during a stop for the National Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice at Camp North End on Thursday. (Photo by Annie Keogh)
Despite the rain Thursday morning, more than 50 people gathered outside The Nest, the North End Community Coalition’s space at Camp North End, to welcome the National Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice (NCDFJ).
Disability Rights NC and other inter-disability alliances set up tents for local vendors and organizations to spread resources and awareness about current state and federal issues affecting people with disabilities.
The NCDFJ, a group of people with disabilities and their allies, has been driving around the country since April to show how far people with disabilities have come in the fight for inclusion and freedom, and how much more change is needed, Disability Rights NC said in a statement.
After Raleigh and Durham, the caravan’s final stop in North Carolina was in Charlotte, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, which gives people with disabilities the choice to remain in their communities rather than being forced into institutions.
“The concept of self-determination – that everyone, including people with disabilities, has the right to chart their own path, with assistance if needed – is at the heart of the Olmsted Act,” said Judith Brown, founder and executive director of Project 70 Forward, a nonprofit advocacy group that serves Charlotte’s disability community.
Local activists, poets and organisations shared their experiences on the importance of self-determination and encouraged people with disabilities to continue fighting for their rights.
“More needs to be done to enable people with disabilities to make their own choices and live in their communities,” said one speaker.
Organizations participating in Thursday’s event included Project 70Forward, NC Statewide Independent Living Council, Disability Rights & Resources, Access CLT, Faith CME Church, NC Council on Developing Disabilities, Grupo De Apoyo Poder Y Esperanza, NC Department of Health and Human Services, Assistiv Labs, Making Accessibility Work, Sustain Charlotte, Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition and the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center.
Members of the Rev Up Voting Campaign also helped increase voting power for people with disabilities by verifying the voter registration of attendees.
“Educate yourself, stand up for yourself and your family, vote in every election you can, speak to your elected officials, report discrimination,” Brown said. “I ask — I beg — you to celebrate Olmsted by joining me and fighting for the rights of others.”
NCDFJ will continue its caravan tour through the Midwest and South, concluding the tour with a stop in New York in October.
Support our work: Connect and become a Queen City Nerve member and support local journalism for just $5 a month. Our community journalism keeps you informed through a variety of voices.
