Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Disability Rights Oregon helps people with disabilities with their disability-related legal issues in Oregon.
Disability Rights Oregon knows that racism, ageism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and other systems of oppression have created injustices throughout Oregon and the United States.
We reject the very idea that any individual or group has the right to dominate others. Regardless of how we look, how we worship, where we come from, who we love, or whether we have a disability, each of us possesses intrinsic human value that must be respected.
#BlackLivesMatter
Disability Rights Oregon stands in solidarity with our family, friends, clients, and colleagues of color as we work to end institutional racism in all its forms, including here in Oregon.
Say their name graphic. The Graphic includes a non-comprehensive list of deaths at the hands of police in the U.S. since Eric Garner's death in July 2014. Credit for compiling the list: NPR. Read the list of names at: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6941335/NPR-CodeSwitch-Saytheirnameslistv4.pdf
Black Disabled Lives Matter
The intersections of race, gender, sexuality, religion, and, of course, disability, play key roles in our lives, affecting our experiences with discrimination in numerous ways.
Disability is often erased from conversations of a person’s identity.
Unfortunately, there are times when parts of a person’s identity are ignored. If we’re going to fight oppression and discrimination as well as better understand each other’s experiences, we must do a better job of understanding where each of us is situated in society.
Our experiences vary widely based on our intersections, and our society should be able to recognize, care for, and accommodate all of us.
Our History
The civil rights movement paved the way for the disability rights movement
The groundbreaking work of American hero, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., helped shape the disability rights movement, opening doors to equality for other marginalized groups. Here's one perspective on how Dr. King's movement paved the way for recognition of the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Lois Curtis Trailblazing to Community Integration
Lois Curtis was the plaintiff in the landmark disability rights lawsuit, Olmstead v. L.C., that resulted in a 1999 Supreme Court decision. Through Olmstead v. L.C., Lois established the right of a person with a disability to receive individualized treatment and to live in the most integrated setting appropriate.
President Barack Obama looks at a painting presented to him by artist Lois Curtis, center, during their meeting in the Oval Office, June 20, 2011. Credit: The White House.