“We need the ODA to be a success story. We want our community to be able to access what Detroit has to offer and to offer back our skills, passion and commitment. A sufficient ODA budget would help achieve this. If our city council and mayor are committed to equity, the funds must follow the commitment.”
ID: Screenshot of Detroit News website. The text reads, "Letter: Detroit must fund Office of Disability Affairs budget to expand access to services, The Detroit News. Last month marks one year since the establishment of Detroit's Office of Disability Affairs. For the 117,000 of us disabled residents, this office has potential to transform our experience in the city we call home. We’ve made great strides, but more work must be done to move the office from being a great symbol to being an effective tool for equal access for all.
It began as the vision of Warriors on Wheels' founder Lisa Franklin: a one-stop shop, a place where disabled Detroiters would have support for accessing all the resources and programs the city offers, all the things we have a right to but don’t always get to access.
In February 2021, Mayor Mike Duggan announced the Office of Disability Affairs (ODA), housed in the city's Civil Rights Office. We were further pleased when two respected disability advocates were hired to staff it."
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