As we enter into Disability Pride Month the undersigned Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Board of Directors reaffirms our commitment to advocating on behalf of all people with disabilities. CCD is the largest coalition of national organizations working together on behalf of our nation’s individuals with disabilities and their families. We envision an American society in which: all individuals have the freedom and opportunity to make decisions concerning their own lives, welfare and personal dignity; communities are fully accessible to all individuals with disabilities and they are included and able to fully participate in all aspects of community life; and individuals with disabilities exercise their full rights and responsibilities free from racism, ableism, sexism, and xenophobia, as well as LGBTQ+ based discrimination and religious intolerance.
To achieve this, we engage in concerted advocacy for national public policies that ensure the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of all children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society; that enhances the civil rights and quality of life of all people with disabilities and their families; and that reflects the values of the Americans with Disabilities Act and all civil rights law.
Consistent with our vision and mission, CCD supports the humanity, inherent value, worth, and dignity of all individuals in our society, including the rights protected under the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and our nation’s civil rights laws. The US Constitution’s guiding principles for our government sought to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty – not just for some, but for all in our nation.
We know that individuals with disabilities, including those with intersecting identities, often face real barriers to be able to access the benefits of our society, resulting in poorer outcomes. We also know that our society benefits when all of its members have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential and contribute to our nation. Thus, we are united in our continued commitment to advocate for equitable access across systems and issues, and improve the outcomes for and lives of, all those with disabilities in our nation.
Learn more about CCD’s efforts: www.c-c-d.org
CCD Board of Directors
Claire Stanley, American Council of the Blind (ACB)
Lydia Dawson, ANCOR
Sarah Malaier, American Foundation for the Blind
Carol Tyson, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
Dania Douglas, National Health Law Program
Vania Leveille, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Brittany Owens, The Arc of the United States
Germán Parodi, The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
Greg Robinson, Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Stephanie Flynt McEben, National Disability Rights Network
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The Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. Since 1973, CCD has advocated on behalf of people of all ages with physical and mental disabilities and their families. CCD has worked to achieve federal legislation and regulations that assure that the millions of children and adults with disabilities are fully integrated into the mainstream of society. Our Task Forces work across the issue areas of developmental disabilities, autism, and family support; education; emergency management; employment and training; financial security and poverty; fiscal policy; health; housing; long—term services and supports; outdoor access, recreation, and the natural world; family leave; rights; social security; technology and telecommunication; transportation; and veterans.