Disability March

Tomorrow, January 21, 2017, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate in the Women's March on Washington, D.C., not to mention the countless others participating in local marches around the country. The mission of the Women's March inspires me:

"We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country."

Unfortunately, because of my health, I cannot physically attend any of these protest marches, either in D.C. or in my own city of Baltimore. As much as I would love to be there in person, I cannot manage the travel, mobility, weather, crowds full of germs, risk of teargas and other chemical attacks, and long hours.

​Fortunately, though, there is the Disability March. Founded by a group of people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, as well as disability allies, the Disability March is a virtual protest in solidarity with all of the physical Women's Marches happening tomorrow. The Disability March is a co-sponsor of the national Women's March, and it allows those who cannot attend a protest in person to participate in the movement.

If, like me, you cannot get to the march in the nation's capital or even in your own local city or town because of disability or chronic illness, I encourage you to join the Disability March online. Email disabilitymarch@gmail.com with the following information, including a photo attachment, by the end of the day today. Then watch the site for your post to appear as the organizers publish the many entries they receive. Share your post, and this virtual solidarity movement, on social media and by word of mouth.

1. Text that describes the image in your photo clearly (i.e. A woman with short curly hair sitting on a green chair drinking from a yellow cup with a smirk on her face). If this is not possible for you, don’t worry –we will do it for you.
2. Name, nickname, or alias you would like to use as a post header.
3. A statement about why you are joining the disability march (300 words or less)
4. A biographical statement (100 words or less), which can include links to your work and your website or organization but not to products for sale.
5. Please attach to the email a JPG or GIF photo that represents you. This can be a headshot, a depiction of a part of your body or representation of your disability, or any other image with an image file size of less than 1 MB.

Challenging times are ahead. Our incoming president has mocked people with disabilities, ignored our rights and value, and pledged to decimate public services for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

We cannot allow this new president to steal our futures. If we are silent, we are complicit in the damaging lie that we are worthless, or worthy only of dismissal and mockery. We must stand up for ourselves, our rights, and our dignity. Join me in this movement.

Disability rights are human rights, and human rights are disability rights.