To view this email in American Sign Language (ASL) click on the link here.
There are more than 117,000 disabled voters in Detroit. Our community is part of the historic turnout in this year’s election. Our votes must be counted not only because our values, our experiences, and our perspectives are crucial to the well-being of our communities, but because anything less would be destructive to our democracy.
On Nov. 3rd, Michigan #VotersDecided to choose a new future for our state where everyone can thrive and are ready to move #ForwardTogether. We affirmed that Black Lives Matter. That water is a human right. That no human is illegal. And that disability justice matters. We, the people, did our job and turned out in record numbers to vote. Now we expect the State Board of Canvassers to do their job, respect the will of the people and certify the results. Just like we did for the Wayne County Board of Canvassers meeting on Tuesday, we will show up again to speak truth to power Monday afternoon when the State Board of Canvassers convenes. Please keep an eye on our social media for more info about joining this action. See the video from Tuesday's zoom call.
In the meantime, here are a few upcoming opportunities from our friends and partners to express your disability perspective!
Tuesday, Nov. 24th @ 6 pm: Intimate Access--Detroiters telling Embodied Stories-- a virtual conversation with Aiko Fukuchi, Will See, Gwi-Seok Hong, & Tawana Petty of Relentless Bodies, a creative disability justice collective for Afrikan, Indigenous and People of Color based in Detroit. This collective of multi-dimensional beings gathers to intimately explore how their body-minds impact the narratives they create through art. ASL will be provided. Click here to register or to request additional accommodations.
Friday, Dec. 4th from 12-1:30 pm: Tenants' Rights & Evictions Virtual Working Group hosted by Poverty Solutions@ University of Michigan. Let’s make sure the perspectives of Detroiters with disabilities are part of the conversation! Register here. This working group will kick off Poverty Solutions' new community experts initiative, which aims to deepen their commitment to engaging Detroit residents and leaders in their action-based research. They will convene community leaders with both lived and professional experience confronting poverty to share insights and resources and generate innovative ideas for action.
The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is looking for members of the disability community to provide input about the proposed State Fair Transit Center to be completed in 2022. If you are a Detroit area transit user and would like to learn more about the focus group, please contact the Transit Ambassador Team at ConnectTheDots@detroitmi.gov by December 11, 2020. The community engagement for this center is just beginning and the focus group will start in the new year.
Don’t ever forget, our disability perspectives and insights have the ability to change the world.
In solidarity,
The DDP Team