Join Independence Alliance, Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services, and Human Services Chamber of Hamilton County as we celebrate the anniversary of the ADA and provide education on disability rights.

Enjoy the beverages of OTR Stillhouse along with musical performances, art activities, and prize giveaways! Email Dee Henry to be added to the list to receive more information.

Advocates Request Accessibility Measures from Governor DeWine 

The Ohio Olmstead Task Force and Breaking Silences Advocacy Committee have gathered 60 signatures across the State asking that all future press conferences and public appearances given by the Governor include an ASL interpreter and closed captioning. As noted in their letter, these accommodations were previously present at broadcasts from Gov. DeWine in 2020, who also established Ohio as a Disability Inclusion State in 2024.

With 303,000 Ohioans being d/Deaf or hard of hearing, this means that not every resident has equal access to information from our state’s leader. These advocates, including Independence Alliance’s Disability Rights and Advocacy Specialist, are calling for change.

“Access issues create barriers for individuals with disabilities. When organizers include accessibility in the planning of meetings, webinars, broadcasts, and events, the community will experience the full benefit of the contributions and participation of everyone who attends. This forethought eliminates communication barriers and demonstrates respect for the disability community.”

Disability Advocacy and Calls to Action

Centers for Independent Living, such as Independence Alliance, are advocacy organizations. Part of our job is to advocate for more accessibility changes so that our society provides fairness for people with disabilities. We also teach individuals how to advocate for themselves and for disability rights.

One example of advocacy is through Calls to Action. A Call to Action asks you to do a certain task that will bring awareness to a certain issue. Many Calls to Action involve contacting elected officials to make requests. When an elected official hears from many people that there is support for the disability community, as well as for the programs that assist us, there is more likely to be a positive outcome when decisions are made.

Read the Call to Action below to advocate for the disability community today: Ask Secretary Kennedy and Congress to Protect ACL Programs

We need your help to protect vital services for people with disabilities and older adults. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) was created in response to the disability community’s efforts to improve services and supports, mitigate fragmentation, and increase coordination between programs. Now, efforts to dismantle ACL could undermine these critical services, putting many at risk.

What's on the Line

This restructuring may lead to fewer resources and more barriers to the programs and services we depend on. These programs give disabled people the tools to live with dignity, freedom, and independence. They ensure that we stay in our communities and are able to live life on our own terms instead of being forced into institutions.

Why This Matters

The programs currently provided through ACL give us a chance to live with self-sufficiency, reducing reliance on institutional care and saving taxpayer money.

These decisions have been made with no engagement or transparency with the disability community and will likely cause huge disruptions for people with disabilities and aging adults. Without ACL, many of the hard-won advances in disability rights could be undone.

Take Action

It is important to contact both Congress and Secretary Kennedy.

1. Contact your members of Congress: Use NCIL’s Advocacy& Action Center to ask your members of Congress to exercise Congressional oversight authority.

2. Call Secretary Kennedy’s office at 202-690-7000 and leave a message when prompted.

Sample script:

"I am calling to express my concern about changes to the Administration for Community Living. I urge Secretary Kennedy to meet and work with the Independent Living Network and other disability and aging programs currently administered by ACL to ensure they remain protected and fully equipped to serve their communities.”

3. Share this message on social media. Tag any relevant organizations.

Disability Q*mmunity

Are you LGBTQ2SIA+ and have a disability? Searching for an accessible space to talk with other people like you? Join us at the Disability Q*mmunity! Hosted by Independence Alliance, Treehouse Cincinnati, and Project CARE, we bring together multiple areas of expertise that are important to our members. There are opportunities to discuss current news, plan advocacy actions, and to vent about anything on your mind.

We meet on the second Tuesday and fourth Wednesday of every month. On Tuesday’s we use a hybrid format, meeting at Treehouse Cincinnati (103 William Howard Taft Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45219) and on Zoom from 6:00-7:30PM. On Wednesday’s, we meet on Zoom only from 6:00-7:00PM.

The Disability Q*mmunity is grateful to have received funding from Queen City Charities to pay for meeting-related expenses, host accessible events, and start a transportation fund for our members. If you have wanted to attend a meeting but travel is a barrier, we can now assist you with the cost.



Our next meeting will take place on April 23rd at 6:00PM. Please join our email list to receive the monthly meeting updates by submitting this form

Disclaimer: The information and links provided in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, management, and Board of Directors of Independence Alliance.

If you require this publication in an alternative format,

please contact us.

To learn more about Independent Living and other services, visit our website at www.IndependenceAlliance.org

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