Mission

IDEA Committee Public Statement

Board Approved: 1/27/2021

As advocates for disability rights, we believe it is our responsibility to advocate for social justice and actively condemn systemic racism and oppression.  Center for People With Disabilities (CPWD) fully acknowledges the long history of marginalized groups suffering from injustice, bigotry, and prejudice.  In direct response to the brutal racial injustices in recent history, we have felt compelled as an organization to speak up and take a stand.

One of our core values is to have all groups equally represented with an equal voice and equal access.  CPWD stands united with the Black community, People of Color (POC), Latinx, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, LGBTQ+ and Tribal communities, and we are proud to support the fight to end racial injustice and oppression.

To demonstrate our commitment to our values and address the current climate of racism and oppression, CPWD created the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity into Action (IDEA) Committee on 8/27/20.  The IDEA Committee will work to foster an inclusive environment within our community and take action by:

• Creating a safe place within CPWD that cultivates conversations with the intention of understanding the historical significance and impact of systemic racism.
• Listening and learning how we can best support marginalized communities.
• Developing an outreach strategy to identify community events and other opportunities to spread awareness regarding systemic racism and its intersection with the disability community.
• Partnering with local organizations that share a similar mission for racial justice; we are stronger when we join forces as allies.
• Constructing a timeline for our action plan to create accountability.

This is a continuously evolving initiative and we expect to learn and grow along the way.  The most important step is starting now.  We hope you will join us in the process of committing yourself to helping create a more inclusive and equitable society for all!

In an independent living environment, people with disabilities have more control and choice over their lives, more freedom to reach for their full potential, and more opportunity to integrate with community.