Celebrating Black History: Disability Matters

Have you heard of Fannie Lou Hamer? Many people know her as an accomplished civil and voting rights organizer, which is absolutely true. Hamer’s 1964 testimony at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was a huge factor in the passage of the Voting Rights Act less than one year later. Fewer people may remember the role that Hamer’s disability played in her activism.



As a childhood polio survivor, Hamer lived with a permanent limp. Her DNC testimony detailed the horrific treatment she received while travelling home from a voter registration workshop. State police committed a brutal false arrest and beating in Winona, Mississippi that intensified her limp, caused permanent kidney damage and a blood clot behind her eye. Her voice was broadcasted to the entire country, “All of this is on account we want to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America, is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?"

Fannie Lou Hamer testifying at the Democratic Party convention in Atlantic City in 1964

Black Disability History is American History. It should always be honored, and we especially honor it today. The life and works of Fannie Lou Hamer, alongside the millions of other Black disability advocates, are evident that these movements cannot be separated. 

Resources

Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program - designed for young Black disabled advocates (ages 18 – 30) who are committed to the social, political, and economic issues surrounding the intersections of the Black and Disability communities.

Greater Cincinnati BIPOC Mental and Behavioral Health Provider Directory – The Community Engagement Collective observed that there was no local initiative that included providers that self-identified as BIPOC in Cincinnati. They addressed this community need by launching their first directory in 2021, this is the updated version.

Independence Alliance Advocacy Updates

Federal Funding Freeze

Independence Alliance is a Center for Independent Living (CIL). We largely rely on federal funding to provide our services across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, free of charge to anyone with a disability. Over the past couple weeks, the topic of federal funding for organizations such as CILs has been in the news. Many consumers have contacted us with questions, and we hope to provide some clarity.

We are providing our full range of services to consumers, including Independent Living Skills trainings, such as our Living Well in the Community workshop series, our Peer Support services, such as the Navigating Relationships Peer Group, and our on-going regional disability advocacy. Should anything change, we will communicate as effectively as possible with our consumers and the community.

For consumers who were affected by changes to federal funding, Independence Alliance is available to field your questions and help find answers. Most of all, we are here to validate your concerns while also remaining calm and collected in the face of uncertainty.

Visit the National Council for Independent Living’s website for further information.

Connected Communities Town Hall – Zoning and Accessibility

Join us on February 15^th, 2025, from 12:00-3:00 pm at the Hamilton County Community Action Agency for the Connected Communities Town Hall Meeting. ASL interpreters will be present!

From the Press Release:

“The Connected Communities Ordinance was made public in April 2024, and Cincinnati City Council voted for its passage on June 5, 2024. A review of comments and emails by residents who were both pro and con the ordinance resulted in the creation of five working groups: Accessibility, Affordable Housing, Environment, Infrastructure Capacity, and Neighborhood Look and Feel…”

The work groups will present their current proposals to the community and take feedback at this Town Hall meeting. The Accessibility group is co-chaired by Independence Alliance’s Disability Rights and Advocacy Specialist, so we encourage our consumers to attend, or to contact the group with suggestions.



“We are looking for feedback from the public,” said Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney. “All expert and non-expert opinions on the policy suggestions are valuable.”

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, to host accessible events, and to start a transportation fund for our members. If you have wanted to attend a meeting but transportation is a barrier, we can now assist you with the cost.

Our next meeting will take place on March 18th 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.

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

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