THE FLAME OF EQUALITY BURNS BRIGHTLY

MISSION

To build stronger communities that include people with disabilities as full social, spiritual and economic partners in all aspects of community life.

Creating Community Inclusion (CCI) is committed to the principle that real change for people with disabilities occurs in the communities where they live. Our educational programs give individuals with disabilities the opportunity to engage in dialogue with human services systems, institutions and organizations that affect community life. We assist communities to become more disability-friendly, by encouraging the inclusion of disability perspectives and the participation of people with disabilities in local government, municipal planning, community programs, faith communities, recreational venues and emergency preparedness.

VALUES

Choice, consumer leadership, full access to and inclusion in the community for all people with disabilities, universal usability of housing and consumer products and that people with disabilities should be involved as experts on their own disabilities.

"Community participation" represents the degree of connection that citizens with disabilities have to their physical and social surroundings. Unfortunately, far too many people with disabilities feel isolated and out of touch with the community. This results in their spending significantly less time participating in community activities than their non-disabled counterparts. In most cases, it is not the person's disability itself that causes this greater level of isolation and dissatisfaction; but is more likely a result of the physical barriers or negative attitudes present within the community as a whole. Without intervention, the disconnection or lack of inclusion experienced by people with disabilities soon becomes a “community participation gap”. (N.O.D.)

GOALS

To advocate for change in systems that have become inhumane, oppressive and no longer benefit people with disabilities; And To develop specific programs to promote inclusion of and/or support for people with disabilities where no or only limited services are currently available.

This “community participation gap” is clearly demonstrated in the following examples, taken from the latest Harris survey commissioned by the National Organization on disability, N.O.D.

• 35% of people with disabilities say they are completely uninvolved in their communities, compared to 21% without disabilities.
• 32% of working-age (18-64) people with disabilities are employed full or part-time, compared to 81% of working-age people without disabilities. 66% of unemployed people with disabilities would prefer to be working.
• 40% of people with disabilities are likely to go to restaurants at least once per week compared to 59% without disabilities.
• 70% of people with disabilities are likely to socialize with friends, family and neighbors once per week compared to 85% without disabilities. They are also less likely to go to supermarkets, stores and malls, movies, theater, live music performances, sporting events, and events related to their hobbies.
• 47% of people with disabilities attend religious services once per month, compared to 65% of those without disabilities. While more than 8 out of 10 people with and without disabilities consider their faith to be important to them.
• 62% of people with disabilities are registered to vote while 78% without disabilities report being registered, demonstrating that people with disabilities are less likely to participate in the political arena than those without disabilities.

Something, then, is preventing people with disabilities from experiencing full inclusion within their communities. Most communities may not even realize that they are unwelcoming and inhospitable but the barriers, which exclude the more than 500,000 children and adults with disabilities in Maricopa County from full participation, are real. (U.S. census, 2000)

OBJECTIVES

Education, Service and Advocacy.

It is architectural barriers and barriers of limiting attitudes and stereotypical thinking that cause “community participation gaps” to develop. CCI will strive to increase cooperation between community leaders and people with disabilities by designing educational opportunities, focus groups, theater presentations and a variety of other programming, which address the removal of these barriers. By “Creating Community Inclusion”, the existing “gap” caused by the different levels of participation between people with disabilities and their non-disabled counterparts will be significantly decreased and some day eliminated.

INCLUSION BUILDS STRONG COMMUNITIES!