Founding
Detroit Disability Power was founded in 2018 by long-time disability activist Dessa Cosma, our current executive director. DDP was founded as a response to the lack of disability analysis within social justice movements, design spaces, and government.
The Problem
Individuals with disabilities in our region face systemic barriers to full participation in society, compounded by intersectional challenges like race, gender, and socio-economic status. Detroit needs a full accessibility overhaul and culture shift.
The Solution
By building up the courage and leadership skills of fellow disabled residents, we’ll emass the power necessary to lead decision making. We’ll make choices towards inclusion, full and consistent accessibility, and resources distribution to undo centuries of Ableism.
Our Values
Disability is a normal/positive part of human diversity. Our disabilities are essential parts of who we are, places of power and self-love, giving us great assets to share with the world around us.
Nothing About Us, Without Us: We are People with disabilities building power and inclusive social justice movements. We work to dismantle the very real structural and cultural challenges facing us. We organize for the policy and systems change we need and want, therefore, making tangible changes in people’s lives and shifting power to those most affected by issues.
We organize and serve people with diverse disabilities. We are committed to no hierarchy of disability in our work, engaging with people across disabilities, including chronic illness.
Disabled people have other important identities, which also affect our lived experiences and access to opportunity. Our power building efforts will always be with an intersectional lens and with attention to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status, religion, and other identities that affect our lives.
True Inclusion is Revolutionary. When we evolve our institutions to fully include disabled people, we inevitably build more equitable, accountable, safe, and compassionate communities that are better for everyone.
Our Proudest Moments
2021
Winning our campaign to move the City of Detroit to establish the Office of Disability Affairs
Winning our campaign to ensure People with Disabilities were a priority population, regardless of age, for the COVID-19 vaccine in Detroit – becoming the first city in the U.S. to do so
2022
Publishing The A-Z of Effective, Inclusive Campaigns: Win Elections by Getting Out the Disability Vote, the leading text on accessible campaigns
Publishing the first of our annual Poll Audit Report – a thorough audit of polling place accessibility in Metro Detroit
2023
Moving into The LOVE Building as a tenant-partner that’s been a part of the design, construction, and home-making of Detroit’s most accessible creative and social justice space
2024
Hosting a 4-part learning series for Developers, Property Managers, housing officials and other stakeholders in the housing ecosystem to teach access and disability justice values – all in partnership with The Kelsey and the City of Detroit’s Housing and Revitalization Department
2025
Published 6 accessible housing resources alongside the City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department – from Know Your Rights guide, to guides for developers looking to develop more accessible residential or commercial projects
Secured $1.4 million in recurring annual funding for the Office of Disability Affairs – ensuring permanent infrastructure for disability advocacy
2026
DDP’s Executive Director and Founder, Dessa Cosma, serves on Mayor Mary Sheffield's Transition Team as the Co-Director for the
The National Polling Access Audit Coalition, tabled by DDP, launches a Fellowship program with a $10,000 grant to all participants, so they may audit polling sites in their own localities