As part of Disability Pride Month, Momentum Wheels for Humanity highlighted what independence meant to some of their friends and supporters in the disability community.
Here is an expanded edition of what I shared with them.
As we mark 32 years this July since the passage of the ADA, I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made toward diversity, equity, inclusion and access. While the landmark legislation has certainly opened doors and transformed lives, the fight for full independence, freedom, and movement remains.
Since being matched with Canine Companions® Pico and becoming a service dog handler in 2014, I’ve seen my own independence increase tenfold, and I’ve watched my life transform in unimaginable ways.
For the last eight years, Pico and I have worked together to affect change on both the local and national stage. We’ve spearheaded policy shifts with Petco, Uber, Lyft, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) (to name a few) ensuring greater access and a safer experience for service dog teams. In addition, every public outing is an opportunity to educate the public on the important work done by Canine Companions and the vital role service dogs play in the lives of their handlers. I am so proud of the work we’ve done together for the disability community.
In the workplace we fight for the freedom to be seen as fully capable. We fight for accommodations, upward mobility and recognition beyond tokenism. Our independence is threatened by an increasing wage gap, and the practice of sub minimum wage remaining legal in 36 states. Our movements are limited when we can’t save for our future, or marry who we love without fear of losing the social safety net provided by Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
We advocate for our right to move through the world unencumbered by obstacles; physical or idealogical. Some shifts are easier, others less so. We push forward knowing progress is not always linear.
As with every fight for equality, we celebrate our progress; we recognize our wins both large and small that have brought us to this moment and remain committed toward the day when full independence, freedom, and movement is possible for the entire disability community.