This survey is being conducted by Anna Landre, a researcher at the London School of Economics on behalf of the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. Its

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Updated: February 19, 2022 by admin

SILVER: Emergency Relocations – How CIL’s Can Tap Into FEMA Reimbursement

Emergency Relocations: How CIL's Can Tap Into FEMA Reimbursement

In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, there was a devastating drop in transitions for residents of nursing facilities to

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

[SIGN ON] Written Testimony for Hearing on “FEMA’s Priorities for 2022: Stakeholder Perspectives”

We've joined the World Institute on Disability (WID) in submitting written testimony to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management for the

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Updated: March 28, 2022 by admin

Federal Announcements

ACL & CMS: Meeting with Disability and Aging Stakeholders

April 4, 2022 at 2:30pm ET

Register here: https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_RVjoFnDhTQui4gRZUYgfEA

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare &

Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

Meet Gwen: vaccinated in Ohio

Gwen, with foreshortened arms, waering jeans and a peach-colored shirt, smiling and sitting in her power chair.

The Partnership provided training and resources to the Ohio Department of Health; and Ohio delivered COVID-19 vaccines to hundreds of thousands of Ohioans with disabilities, like Gwen.

"When I first

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

Disability Community Response to 2/4 HHS Guidance

Rights Without Remedies Are No Rights At All

We applaud the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for issuing its February 4, 2022 guidance FAQs for Healthcare Providers

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

Una Carta de los Co-Directores Ejecutivos

ENGLISH

Estamos ansiosos por el Año Nuevo donde continuaremos nuestra lucha colectiva por los derechos, necesidades e inclusión de las personas con discapacidad antes, durante y después de los desastres

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

A Letter from the Co-Executive Directors

EN ESPAÑOL

https://disasterstrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-letter.mp4

View the video above to access the letter in American Sign Language (ASL).

Click here to view this letter as a text-only Microsoft Word document.

Click here

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

Opposition to Recent Ableist Remarks from CDC Director

This letter was sent to Dr. Walensky on 1/12/22.

On January 7, 2022 during an interview to Good Morning America, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Updated: December 30, 2021 by admin

2021: Boletín Anual

ENGLISH

El logotipo con el encabezado de El Partnership. Imagen del virus COVID-19. Texto: "LLAMADAS DIARIAS SOBRE COVID-19 Y DERECHOS DE DISCAPACIDAD. 6PM HORA DEL ESTE". Logotipo de Zoom.

Desde el 28 de febrero del 2020, hemos estado llevando a cabo llamadas diarias sobre los derechos de personas con discapacidad durante la pandemia del COVID-19 en las que

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Updated: December 30, 2021 by admin

2021: Year in Review

En Español

Since February 28, 2020, we have been holding Daily COVID-19 Disability Rights calls where partners across the nation come together each and every day to share good and

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Updated: December 28, 2021 by admin

Twelvetide Drabbles Challenge 2021

Twelvetide Drabbles Challenge 2021

December 24th, 2021 - January 6th, 2022

Write or draw, and raise money for
The Partnership!

The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies was selected again this

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Updated: July 3, 2025 by admin

Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad en Refugios y en Respuesta a Desastres y Emergencias

A las personas con discapacidad no se les puede negar el acceso a

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Updated: July 3, 2025 by admin

Disability Rights in
Shelters and in Disaster/Emergency Response

People with disabilities cannot be denied access to shelters (shelters cannot discriminate when providing safety, comfort, or basic needs).
Service

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

#GivingTuesday 2021

The Partnership's Get a Mug Campaign

Donate Directly to The Partnership

Thank you to everyone who supports us, and to all who donated during #GivingTuesday this week!

We have a

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

View the REAADI and DRMA Virtual Press Conference Now!

On Thursday, August 5th, 2021 Senator Casey, along with 6 other Senators introduced REAADI (S. 2658) and DRMA (S. 2646) in the Senate.

On Friday, August 6th, 2021 Representative Langevin,

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

Disability & Disaster Hotline: Ida Update

On the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana near Port Fourchon this past Sunday as a strong Category 4. The extent of the damage is

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

VIDEO: Stakeholder Meeting with FEMA Administrator Criswell

On Tuesday, August 17, 2021 The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies hosted a Disability Community Stakeholders virtual meeting with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who was appointed by President Biden earlier

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Updated: August 29, 2021 by admin

Hurricane Ida Alert

As Hurricane Ida makes landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana, our Disability and Disaster Hotline is responding to disaster-impacted disabled people and connecting them to resources on the

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Updated: August 29, 2021 by admin

Remembering Benny: Hurricane Katrina 16th Anniversary as Hurricane Ida approaches Louisiana

Sixteen years ago, as Hurricane Katrina was approaching Louisiana, Marcie Roth, now a current Board member for The Partnership, got a call from long-time disability rights leader, Susan Daniels. Susan

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Updated: September 23, 2022 by admin

PRESS RELEASE: Stakeholder Meeting with FEMA Administrator Criswell

Date: August 19, 2021

Contact: Germán Parodi & Shaylin Sluzalis
directors@disasterstrategies.org / 215-971-0660

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Disability Community Stakeholders Meet with FEMA Administrator Criswell

On Tuesday, August 17,

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Updated: July 14, 2021 by admin

Survey Report: Accessible COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution to People with Disabilities

Introduction

On April 27, 2021, The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies circulated a survey asking about vaccine equity and access for disabled people in the United States.

The survey had

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Updated: June 22, 2021 by admin

Opposition to the Recent CDC Mask Guidelines for Fully Vaccinated People

The disability-led organizations, disability rights leaders, individuals with disabilities, and allies undersigned are disheartened, confused and outraged about the recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance rescinding previous

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

SURVEY: Accessible COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution to People with Disabilities

Now that vaccine distribution is picking up pace rapidly, we want to find where people with disabilities continue to face barriers in accessing the COVID-19 vaccine. Please take 10 minutes

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Updated: March 6, 2022 by admin

The Partnership’s HAA Guiding Principles

The Home and Community-Based Services Access Act (HAA), a new piece of legislation in development aims to “establish a baseline criteria for the delivery of HCBS across the country and

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Updated: April 23, 2021 by admin

Our Portfolio

Review our portfolio to find out more about us, what we do, and our accomplishments!

Slide title reads: “Our History” on the top left of the slide. Text then lists highlights from each year since 2016: “2016: The Partnership was incorporated, and acted as a program of our founding organization, Portlight Strategies (which led humanitarian response and relief initiatives to meet the needs of disaster-impacted disabled communities for over 20 years) to focus on disability-inclusive emergency management, community organizing, policy, advocacy, and training. 2017: 1) Activated the Disability and Disaster Hotline in response to Hurricane Harvey. 2) Deployed a disability-led team to Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. 2018: 1) Assisted disaster-impacted people with disabilities through remote technical assistance and information/referral in response to Hurricanes Michael and Florence. 2) Getting It Right National Inclusive Emergency Management Conference. 2019: 1) Leadership change at The Partnership. 2) The Partnership received its 501(c)3 recognition under the IRS, becoming independent of Portlight, with Portlights’ legacy of direct disaster relief functions absorbed into The Partnership as our “Portlight Relief Division.” 3) Deployed a disabled-led team to the Bahamas in response to Hurricane Dorian.”

Graphic: blue cloud in center of graphic with text in center, the cloud has four yellow lightning bolts protruding at top and bottom and side to side. At the end of each lightning bolt is a light purple cloud with different text in each cloud. Text in center blue cloud: Community-Wide Disaster Resilience. Text in top purple cloud: Equal Access. Text in bottom purple cloud: Commitment to Civil Rights Protections. Text in right purple cloud: Inclusion. Text in left purple cloud: Independence. Text to the right of the graphic reads: “Our core values of equal access, inclusion, independence, and commitment to civil rights protections continually guide our work towards a future where community readiness is achieved and sustained for everyone through a shared and unwavering commitment to accessibility, universal design, and reasonable accommodation/modification before, during, and after disasters. Experience has shown us that these values of equal access, inclusion, independence, and commitment to civil rights protections are imperatives for achieving and sustaining community-wide disaster resilience.”

Slide title reads: “How We Do It” on the top left of the slide. There are four main sections of text on this slide. Section one has text that says: “Technical Assistance ” and lists bullets: “Information, Resources, Referrals; Navigating Emergency Management; Customized Trainings; Gap Analysis; Continuity of Operations Plans; Exercises and Drills; Conferences”. Section two has text that says: “Relief and Response” and lists two bullets: “Disability and Disaster Hotline; Disabled-led Deployment”. Section three has text that says: “Community Resilience” and lists bullets: “Daily COVID-19 Disability Rights Calls: Bringing disability-led organizations, emergency managers, public health officials, first responders, advocates, and allies together daily to address disability-related rising issues, good and promising practices, and information and resource sharing related to the COVID-19 pandemic”; “Weekly National Stakeholder Calls: Since Hurricane Harvey we have held weekly National Stakeholder Calls where a wide range of stakeholders with the shared interest in the disaster related rights and needs of people with disabilities engage with one another.”; “Local Engagement: When disasters strike we reach out to disability-led organizations and allies in the impacted and surrounding areas to set up disabled-led and disability focused emergency operation center calls where a wide range of partners collectively address the rights and needs of disabled people.” And section four has text that says: “Advocacy and Systems Change” and lists two bullets: “Advocate and Educate Program and Policy Change; Drive changes that proactively assure compliance with civil rights obligations before, during, and after disasters”.

Slide title reads: “Why We Do This” on the top left of the slide. Text in a circle that reads: “People with disabilities are 2-to-4 times more likely to die or be injured in a disaster, emergency, or crisis than non-disabled people. - United Nations This is largely due to lack of equal access to information, resources, and services before, during, and after disasters. The Partnership is the only organization focused solely on the rights and needs of people with disabilities throughout disasters, emergencies, and crises.”

Slide title reads: “What Is The Opportunity” on the top left of the slide. Text in the middle of the slide reads: “Ongoing funding for The Partnership to sustain this life-saving work” Below the text is a stock photo graphic of two people shaking hands, but only their arms/hands are visible. One hand is brown with a black sleeve while the other hand is light skin with a light grey sleeve and a dollar is clasped between them.

Slide title reads: “What Your Support Will Do” on the top left of the slide. Bulleted are: “Increase Our Capacity; Make Our Shop a Free Resource Hub; Strengthen Our Hotline; Make Our Community Calls Fully Accessible” Below that text is another list: “This Equates To: Empowering Local Community Resilience; Saving Lives; Connecting Tools/Resources to People Most Impacted”

Slide title reads: “Contact Us” on the top left of the slide. Text mid-slid reads: “112 N. 8th Street, Suite 600, Philadelphia PA 19107 Disability & Disaster Hotline: 800.626.4959 or info@disasterstrategies.org Contact Our Co-Executive Directors Shaylin Sluzalis & Germán Parodi: directors@disasterstrategies.org 570.777.0268 & 215.971.0660”

View our Full Portfolio in a Separate Window!

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Posted: April 22, 2021 by Shaylin Sluzalis

Infographic: What We Do!

Donate Today!

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Updated: April 23, 2021 by admin

National Call To Action: A Year Later

March 5, 2021

One year ago, The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, the World Institute on Disability, and the National Council on Independent Living issued a National Disability Rights Call

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Updated: March 3, 2021 by admin

DHS CRCL & Disability Community Stakeholder Listening Session

Department of Homeland Security
Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and
Disability Community Stakeholder Listening Session

On February 4, 2021, The Partnership hosted a listening session between The Department

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Updated: March 6, 2022 by admin

2020 Newsletter: Year In Review

We started 2020 with new leadership at The Partnership, while also building our organizational capacity, and responding to several disasters. Our biggest undertaking at the beginning of this past year

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

Life Saving and Life Sustaining Actions Needed Immediately

Hyperlinks
California’s Approach
Connecticut’s Approach
Category B—emergency protective measures
FEMA PAS Guidance

Life Saving and Life Sustaining Actions Needed Immediately PDF Download Download

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

COVID-19 & Institutions

Infogrpahic image with two frames: Frame 1: Image:The shape of the USA with a spherical red COVID-19 viral particle. Text: 266,000+ Deaths from COVID-19* *As of November 30, 2020; Red arrow directs to next frame. Frame 2: Text: Marginalized communities are most impacted: Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Disabled people, and older adults. Image: a woman of color wheelchair user, she has gray hair and glasses. A blonde woman stands behind with hands on the wheelchair handles.

Infographic image with two frames: Frame 1: Image: an illustration of a big institutional building with a flag on top. Text: People in institutional settings, such as nursing facilities, group homes, and prisons are are especially impacted by COVID-19. Frame 2: Text:Over 101,000+ people who live or work in nursing facilities have died. (*As of Nov. 30, 2020 (NYTimes)) Image: an illustration of a graveyard with many gravestones.

Infographic image with two frames of just text: Frame 1: Despite only being .6% of the population, nursing facility deaths make up 39%* deaths from COVID-19. (*As of November 30, 2020 (NYTimes)) Frame 2: Across the nation, thousands of
group homes, psychiatric facilities, jails, and prisons have had COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths.

Infographic image with one frame: Image: white skull in black circle. Text: Institutions pack people into shared spaces and are "death pits." Due to lack of reporting standards and requirements: We will never know how many institutionalized people have unnecessarily and inhumanely died from COVID-19.

Accessible PDF Infographic-COVID19-Institutions Download

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by Shaylin Sluzalis

22 Octubre / 22 October: Conversatorio #3 Respuesta y recuperación inclusivas frente a las consecuencias socioeconómicas de la pandemia / Conversation #3: Inclusive Response and Recovery to the Socioeconomic Consequences of the Pandemic

Organizado por la Red de Gestión Inclusiva del Riesgo y Discapacidad de América Latina y el Caribe (Red GIRDD LAC) / Organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Network for … Read more

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by admin

Devon’s Independence After Hurricane Dorian

Disaster Justice Means Ensuring People With Disabilities Have Access to Resources

In early September 2019, Category 5 Hurricane Dorian caused widespread destruction in the Bahamas, targeting Great Abaco Island. Thousands … Read more

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

October 15: Global Disability & Disaster Town Hall #4

Join us on Thursday, October 15 at 12:00 – 1:00 PM (EDT) / 4 pm – 5 pm UTC via Zoom for the fourth (4th) town hall discussing disasters, disabilities, … Read more

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

CICLO DE CONVERSATORIOS / CONVERSATION SERIES

Organizado por la Red de Gestión Inclusiva del Riesgo y Discapacidad de América Latina y el Caribe (Red GIRDD LAC) / Organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Network for … Read more

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Updated: March 6, 2022 by admin

2020: National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month. This September, the United States juggled multiple disasters.

We are in the grip of a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 people nationally. We know … Read more

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by Shaylin Sluzalis

Webinario Sobre Salud, Discapacidad, y COVID-19 / Webinar on Health, Disability and COVID-19

24 DE SEPTIEMBRE / SEPTEMBER 24

15:00 HRS. EDT / 3:00 PM EDT NEW YORK

El webinario se transmitirá en Facebook / The Webinar will stream on Facebook

GIRDD Facebook

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by Shaylin Sluzalis

The Partnership Statement on Passing 200,000 COVID-19 Deaths

200,000 people in the United States have died from COVID-19.

We grieve for the many people with disabilities, older adults, and Disabled Black and People of Color who died needlessly.

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Updated: September 18, 2020 by Shaylin Sluzalis

Celebrating 1 Year as Co-Directors!

Today marks one year since Germán Parodi and Shaylin Sluzalis received the torch as the Co-Executive Directors of The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies!

As an organization, we have grown. … Read more

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

Wildfire Resources: Oregon & Washington

Washington Resources:

This information is from Jim House, Disability Integration Manager Coalition on Inclusive Emergency Planning (CIEP).

o Wildfires in Washington http://fireinfo.dnr.wa.gov/

o Air quality in Washington https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

o Red Cross … Read more

Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

English/Español Flyer: Disability & Disaster Hotline #HurricaneLaura, #COVID19 & #CAFires

The Partnership Flyer Disability & Disaster Flyer in English

$Photo: Logo sol amarillo. En su centro hay 4 iconos representando huracanes, tornados, tormentas y terremotos. Texto rojo en grande: The Partnership. Texto pequeño en azul: For Inclusive Disaster Strategies Texto: Personas con discapacidades y adultos mayores en área impactadas por desastres y necesitan asistencia, pueden contactarnos a nuestra Línea de Asistencia: Discapacidades y Desastres (800) 626-4959 info@disasterstrategies.org Disponible 24\7 Los 365 días del año ¡Estamos aquí para ayudar! #HuracánLaura #COVID19 #Incendios #AdultosMayores #Discapacidad #Desastres #Inclucion$

The Partnership Disability & Disaster Hotline Flyer in Spanish

English: Disability Disaster Hotline Flyer Download

Español: Información Línea de Asistencia: Discapacidades

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

REPORT: Failures in COVID-19 Response Harm People with Disabilities and Older Adults

The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies released a report tracking 154 consecutive daily stakeholder calls on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities and older adults throughout … Read more

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

OCR Complaint Filed by National Organizations on Behalf of the Family of Michael Hickson

July 31, 2020

Roger Severino
Director, Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington DC 20201

RE: Complaint of Disability Discrimination filed

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

The Partnership Statement on the HEALS Act

TAKE ACTION! THE HEALS ACT DOESN’T INCLUDE US!

On July 27th, the Senate Republicans released the HEALS Act, a COVID relief package of several bills that fundamentally harm disabled people. … Read more

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Updated: June 1, 2023 by admin

Statement: The 30th Anniversary of the ADA During a Pandemic

Today is the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Despite the 30 years, the inequality people with disabilities experience daily continues to exacerbate the

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Updated: March 6, 2022 by admin

COVID-19 Lockdown In the Caribbean

By Anna Landre and Germán Parodi, The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies

Caribbean island countries and territories are often those most at risk in the event of a disaster in … Read more

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

NPR Story on Disability & Disasters- featuring our Executive Directors!

Yesterday, July 22nd, National Public Radio published an article and aired an audio piece on disasters and disability, entitled, “Disaster Relief for the Elderly and Disabled is Already Hard, Now … Read more

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin

The Partnership Statement to Relocate Congregate Facilities #SaveDisabledLivesNow

The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies (The Partnership) is the only U.S. disability-led organization [and one out of only two global] with a focused mission on equal access, disability rights … Read more

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Updated: July 8, 2020 by Priya Penner

The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies DEMAND JUSTICE for the murder of Michael Hickson

The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, our partners and allies denounce the murder of Michael Hickson, a 46-year-old disabled Black man. Mr. Hickson was admitted to St. David’s Austin

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Updated: February 5, 2024 by admin