The Consortium is pleased to announce the award of a FISA Foundation grant for a one-year project to document and share histories of Western Pennsylvanians with disabilities who are people of color. The project aims to address gaps in the historical record for under-represented communities of color, as well as explicitly connect this history to contemporary issues of racial inequality, civil rights and social justice.
One of the primary aspects of this project is the establishment of a Community Advisory Committee to identify potential histories, assist with community connections, and act as resource for ongoing work that will continue beyond the period of the grant. Those who are interested in serving on Community Advisory Committee should contact the Consortium at info@wpdhac.org.
Stories selected for the project will focus on people of color with lived experience of disability as well as disability rights leaders. In a press release announcing grants related to the intersection of race and disability, FISA Foundation executive director Kristy Trautmann said, “We know the incidence of disability is higher among communities of color, driven by persistent racial inequality in healthcare, housing, economics, education and the environment….The experience of living with a disability is not race-neutral.”
The Consortium thanks the FISA Foundation for previous and ongoing support of the our mission. You can learn more about the FISA Foundation and its work on the intersection of race and disability here.
