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*La version en espa\u00f1ol de este art\u00edculo estar\u00e1 disponible pronto en esta p\u00e1gina web.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n For part 1 of this article, please go visit here.*<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is the second of a two-part piece featuring interviews with organizers, Maria Palacios in TX (Crip Survival Network), Rickii Ainey (<\/span>Ainey & Volion Consulting<\/span><\/a>) and Ashley Volion (<\/span>Disability Rights Louisiana<\/span><\/a>) in LA, and <\/span>the UPRISE COLLECTIVE<\/span><\/a> in OR.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd then also realizing wow, I hate capitalism. I hate all these things because our lives are literally [always] in danger\u2026 Natural disasters \u2026 put a spotlight and really show \u2026 clearly the inequality\u201d\u2014Alecia Deon and Alice Wong, <\/span>Disability Visibility Podcast, Episode 14<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n How does disaster ableism shapes everyday lives of disabled people? What are their critiques of the state disaster management? What does crip survival teach the world? Disability Visibility Project has previously documented <\/span>individual stories<\/span><\/a> on disaster ableism.<\/span><\/p>\n What this article and its first part are doing is to turn our attention to crip survival\u2014how disabled people come together to survive disaster ableism. Organizations leading disaster supports with disability justice and rights principles are featured in these articles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Akemi<\/b> What are the challenges that disabled people face in relation to disaster?<\/span><\/p>\n Maria (Crip Survival Network) <\/b>There\u2019s so many challenges, and the majority of them are related to poverty. Not only do people live below the poverty level, [but also] support an entire family\u2014and this is the case for many immigrant and undocumented [communities]. In many states, people cannot access emergency food and help if you\u2019re undocumented and disabled, because wherever they go, they have to have I.D. How do you prepare for [disasters, when] you\u2019re barely making it day to day. It becomes much easier to have the mentality of \u2018out of sight, out of mind.\u2019 That kind of mentality is another challenge we face. Disabled people in oppressed cultures have become so oppressed that we internalize it in order to survive. Internalized ableism and all the levels of oppression will lead many to think that they deserve to be left behind. The system forces marginalized disabled people to stay poor and to depend upon the oppressor to stay alive; then to believe that the oppressor is doing enough. Well, they\u2019re not.<\/span><\/p>\n Rickii (Ainey & Volion Consulting) <\/b>Poverty plays a huge part in natural disasters.\u00a0Most persons with disabilities don\u2019t have enough money to get them through the month, let alone saving for disaster-related costs.\u00a0Most people [in New Orleans] know how slow the response was for Hurricane Katrina. Recovery is always a long road. I don\u2019t think recovery will ever be any different. It’s been the same since I was a child.<\/span><\/p>\n Ashley (Disability Rights Louisiana) <\/b>[In New Orleans,] the city doesn\u2019t have any centralized governmental agency that helps curate disability needs during disasters [except for NOLA Ready]. They do have their department, <\/span>NOLA Ready<\/span><\/a>, but it only has a handful of full-time positions. We know that when it comes to depending on the government for [disaster-related] assistance, it\u2019s a \u2018no go.\u2019 We have to depend on the community. But, the New Orleans disability community is disjointed and hard to be a cohesive collective. I don\u2019t want to put it all on the [disabled] people because people have to work and get their own care needs met. I know that [intimately, since] I\u2019m a woman with cerebral palsy. During Hurricane Ida, I couldn\u2019t evacuate because I couldn\u2019t afford it. That happens a lot in Southern Louisiana because we\u2019re a very low-income community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n UPRISE<\/b> COLLECTIVE <\/b>In 2021, the City of Portland put out a report that said they have no plan for Disabled people during a disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how economic prosperity was more important than the lives of Disabled people, especially Black and brown Disabled people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If the government can\u2019t find the resources to support us in a disaster, how [can] nonprofits relying on those same funding streams, provide for our communities? When we held our <\/span>No One Left Behind<\/span><\/a> event, we invited community members to share what they needed in a disaster or were doing to prepare. One of the things that is important to us is thinking through an intersectional lens. We are Disabled, but we are also Black and brown and many of us are queer, and we have to think about the <\/span>layers<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>waves<\/span><\/i> of disaster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Akemi<\/b> \u00a0What kinds of disaster-related work have you and your organization been engaging in?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Maria<\/b> [The Crip Survival Network] recognizes that not only are we facing the Mother Nature related disasters, but also the political bullshit and ableism as a threat to our lives. That\u2019s why sharing evidence of our survival and Crip Hacks of how we do things is so necessary. That\u2019s how the Crip Survival Network was born. We think outside the box and allow the communities to define what their survival needs are. Our crip survival depends on our ability to learn from and constantly remind each other that our humanity is worth saving, because society is so convinced that we are discardable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We are developing a map to help each other and enter information of personal resources we\u00a0 already have. One of the strategies that we\u2019re utilizing is thinking about the things that we already possess, individually and collectively. I live in a wheelchair-accessible home [which] is a resource. When it comes to saving each other, it takes giving and sharing our resources and experiences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We are looking to partner up with people in other cities, not only organizations but also individuals doing [the] little part they can do! We connect with other organizations who are doing social justice work. We are gonna have training on surviving disasters and disability justice. We\u2019re also in the process of providing funding for each organization who is gonna decide how to save their communities. Each community has different ways of defining disasters as well as different needs and ways of surviving. Some communities might need those funds for abortion rights! We have to be intentional with the way we survive and speak our truths.<\/span><\/p>\n Rickii<\/b> Ainey & Volion Consulting does trainings for people with disabilities on how to prep for natural disasters by providing them emergency phone numbers and [informing] evacuation pick up locations and what to pack when evacuating. We, the co-founders of the Consulting, both had bad experiences with hurricanes. It is so important to do our best to educate our community. It is also imperative to educate those without disabilities [about] what our needs are and how to best assist us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ashley<\/b> The role Disability Rights Louisiana plays [at the time of disasters] is connecting entities. We provide resources on our social media platforms. During our last major hurricane, our 311 Information Service and 911 were down for a while. We posted where you can find shelters, water, and food, as well as power stations or cooling places. [When] we get phone calls from clients about needing assistance, we get them connected to the right place. We are a pro-bono law firm and had quite a few lawsuits due to the last hurricane because nursing home facilities were not prepared and some casualties happening. Our biggest role is to ensure those with disabilities are taken care of, because in emergency situations, people with disabilities get left out.<\/span><\/p>\n UPRISE<\/b> Early in 2022, our team developed <\/span>the Disability Emergency Preparedness Portland Project<\/span><\/a> which was two parts: (1) starter packs of Emergency Kits, and (2) a skill-share between disabled community members. For the kits, folks shared things they found important to have for their unique disabilities. We also provided a fan, filter, and KN95 masks given the massive wildfire seasons that pose a major concern to disabled people. Another important part is building relationships. No One Left Behind event uplifted disabled people\u2019s own stories and sharing skills. Community building is the cornerstone of how these skills, resources, and stories live on. Uplifting the work of those most impacted and using our platform [for it] is how we work across movements toward liberation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Akemi<\/b> What do you demand of governments and other nonprofit organizations working on disaster management about how they can support disability communities?<\/span><\/p>\n Maria<\/b> Invite disabled people [from] marginalized communities to sit at the table to share our stories, because things happening at the government level are given by non-disabled people who think they know what\u2019s best for us. If they deem that our lives are not fixable, then we become not worth saving. We demand the leadership [of] the most impacted, and [governmental] programs [to be] created and implemented because disabled people had a say in them and [by] taking into consideration the needs of disabled communities. If we learn disability justice and abide by its principles, then things begin to fall into place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rickii<\/b> I would demand being seen. That’s why getting to know your community leaders and local politicians [is important]. They play a powerful impact on the way your day to day life operates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ashley<\/b> Listen to us, know that we have needs and ask us what our needs are. I would demand better preparation and value every human life. I want to see people with disabilities, and people with various disabilities, put into those [leadership] positions, because [we] know what we need.<\/span><\/p>\n UPRISE<\/b> All information [to be] provided with options for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, tactile interpreters, video relay services with captioning and ASL, communications boards, in various languages, and by using culturally appropriate communication. Information should also be shared in places our communities already get information, [since] we may not all have access to internet and cellular services.<\/span><\/p>\n Care Kits:<\/span> We recommend the following resources be offered during a disaster:<\/span><\/p>\n [When it comes to] disaster preparedness, we learn from our and our ancestors\u2019 experiences to recover [from] as well as prepare for the next disaster. Preparing for a disaster can reduce the harm, help us recover quicker, and provide a sense of control.<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Akemi<\/b> What is your disaster-related advice to Disability Visibility Project readers and listeners?<\/span><\/p>\n Maria<\/b> My message to the next generation of Crips is; You have the floor! You deserve to live. You are here for a reason and are so important to the world. We need you! Our Crip ancestors are so proud of you. Keep existing because the non-disabled world cannot make it without you! Keep on sharing your voices, stories, and fountain of Crip resources and survival! Each one of us already have everything that we need to make a difference even when we think that the world has taken it away from us. Keep loving yourself, because loving ourselves as disabled people is the most revolutionary thing that we can do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rickii<\/b> Get involved with your community. I make it my business to know my neighbors. They look out for me if we have emergencies. [What] I find [as a] key to survive day to day life and natural disasters is having other friends with disabilities [who] can empathize and relate to things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ashley<\/b> Always be prepared. I keep a stock of water and canned goods. I have a backup power bank and battery chargers in my suitcase. I\u2019ve tried to digitize my medical information. Always keep a list of Durable Medical providers [who fix wheelchairs and other things]. Keep an extra supply of your medication. In times of hurricane evacuations, you can ask for a little bit more medications from your [Medicaid supported primary care providers]. Keep a list of contacts in your area.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n World Institute on Disability (WID)<\/b><\/a> focuses on Disability Rights and often collaborates with emergency management agencies during disasters.<\/span><\/p>\n National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)<\/b><\/a> advocates for the human rights of people with disabilities and provides resources for emergency preparedness.<\/span><\/p>\n Groups\/Orgs UPRISE works with or shares resources:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Books\/Articles:<\/span><\/p>\n Notes: Maria and Ashley were interviewed separately by Akemi. Rickii and UPRISE COLLECTIVE separately provided written responses. UPRISE COLLECTIVE\u2019s responses were written collectively by its members. Akemi brought all the responses and edited them into this article. Special thanks to Alice Wong, Nour Ghobrial, Valerie C. Barich, Joe Martello, Aly Patsavas, and Shireen Hamza for your support to make this article possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Akemi Nishida<\/strong> (she\/her) <\/span>uses research, education, and activism to investigate how ableism is exercised in relation to other forms of social injustices as well as to contribute to disability justice. She is the author of <\/span>Just Care: Messy Entanglements of Disability, Dependency, and Desire <\/span><\/i>(Temple University Press, 2022) in which she examines public healthcare programs as well as grassroots interdependent care collectives and bed-space activism. She teaches at University of Illinois Chicago.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maria Palacios<\/strong>, also knowns as the \u201cGoddess on Wheels,\u201d is a poet, <\/span>author<\/span><\/a>, spoken word performer, and workshop facilitator. Maria\u2019s work echoes the resilience of crip survival, reflecting her own experience as Latina, immigrant, disabled woman. She is a co-founder of Crip Survival Network which is a <\/span>Sins Invalid<\/span><\/a>-born disability justice initiative. Crip Survival Network is about survival, disasters, and how to keep disability and other marginalized communities alive. The Network includes twenty organizations that meet regularly to build solidarity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\nWhat is disaster ableism?<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Examples of disaster ableism<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Resources recommended by UPRISE<\/b><\/h4>\n
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ABOUT<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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