#AdvocacyMatters: Raise Your Voice
June 21, 2024 / #AdvocacyMatters
For years we’ve driven the discussion about the intersectionality of disability and race in encounters with police. We released our first investigative report on the subject in 2021 with the launch of Policing and Racial Injustice: A Disability Rights Perspective. We collaborated with partners in the Columbus Safety Collective to call on the city to create a non-police emergency response system. We stood side-by-side with our peers in demanding accountability when promises on the topic were broken.
In encounters with police, the intersection of race and disability all too often ends in tragedy. Despite representing only 20 percent of the population, those with disabilities make up 30 to 50 percent of individuals subject to police use of force. This danger – and the comprehensive solutions necessary to address it – has long been a focus of our advocacy.
“We need real investment in nonpolice alternatives now,” Stephen David with the Columbus Safety Collective told Spectrum News late last year. “The people of our city deserve to have reliable access to these services.”
Next week, we’re proud to be partnering with the ACLU of Ohio to host a Columbus Safety Collective Community Conversation, where attendees will be able to share their thoughts on community safety and discuss alternatives to policing in crisis situations. This is an opportunity to elevate the voices and perspectives of our community about this pivotal topic.
The event will take place next Thursday, June 27th, at the Driving Park Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, 1433 E. Livingston Ave, in Room #3. You can learn more and register here (https://secure.everyaction.com/xe1rxKkSnEWhogaJdxpZug2).
Our mission, vision, and our strategic direction remains centered on equity, freedom from discrimination, and the empowerment of those unheard. #AdvocacyMatters