Mission, Vision and Values

Please see our new Strateic Plan.

This page will soon be updated to reflect the Strategic Plan.

Mission Statement:

To promote social justice and create systems change that will benefit people with all types of disabilities.

Vision Statement:

People with all kinds of disabilities should have access to the full American Dream.  We expect full inclusion and will not tolerate exclusion on any level, including but not limited to our government, and any agency that receives money for our benefit.  We expect to be treated with dignity and respect by everyone, particularly those who are being paid to provide services or treatment to us.

Our Values Include:

Cross-Disability-we are all one and have more in common than not—we include all types of disabilities in our actions and policies.

Multi Cultural/anti racism-we value inclusion of people from all cultures and must make our organization culturally accessible and inviting by fighting racism on all levels.

Advocates must do whatever it takes to solve the problem—we have no use for programs that cannot do this and such programs should not receive funding on our behalf.  Systems advocacy must include helping individuals in the systems solve their particular problem.

We will NOT apologize for existence.  We have the right to have full access to the American dream and to receive the services we need to get there.  We will no longer silently accept hateful terms like “the 80/20 problem” or the “woodwork effect”.  Some of us cost money to maintain but all of us give to the betterment of society.  Costs of helping people are nothing compared to corporate welfare and provider waste that occurs daily.

We must confront the fear the fear of normal people—they are us and we are them and they are terrified of being like us.  We must continue to make them face their fears and refuse to allow them to see us as “other”.

We are not cute, easy or a good political poster child.  We take pride in representing those who are the most oppressed.  We still have a right to be a full part of every aspect of our community.

It doesn't always take a village—sometimes it takes a lawsuit.