Community Win! Historic Investments Secured for Disabled Detroiters

ID: Michael Cunningham, a longtime transit activist in Detroit, raises his portable chair and mobility aid to the air with a smile as he holds a sign that reads “Benches Needed” at the DoubleDDOT and Fund Disabled Detroiters rally and press conference before the March 31st budget hearing.

Featured in Riverwise - JUNE 22, 2025

AFTER MONTHS OF HARD WORK AND GOOD ORGANIZING, DOZENS OF PUBLIC COMMENTS AND OVER A HUNDRED LETTERS, WE SECURED HISTORIC WINS FOR DISABLED DETROITERS!

City Council and the Mayor approved over $8 million dollars in funding for our accessibility recommendations—one of the largest investments in the disability community in Detroit’s history! We’ll move into 2026 knowing that we did our best to protect ourselves from decreased federal funding with local tax dollars.

OUR COLLECTIVE ACTION SECURED: FULL FUNDING FOR THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY AFFAIRS!

After 4 years of organizing, we secured an increase of another $400k, bringing the ODA’s annual budget to $1.4M recurring! The staff will grow from 5 to 7 positions, ensuring disabled leaders have a voice in city planning while providing stronger support for disabled Detroiters.

AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING!

We secured $2M for home accessibility modifications and repairs, $1M for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and established a groundbreaking $500k pilot program for accessibility modifications for renters.

MAJOR PUBLIC TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS!

The Mayor added $20M for transit improvements, and City Council contributed an additional $2.7M for shelters, seating, and a study on bringing paratransit services in-house.