Save disabled people from firestorms
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Dayspring IncAdvocacy by disabled people to get long term solutions for reliable and uninterrupted power.
$730
raised by 9 people
$10,000 goal
Advocacy at the Public Utilities Commission
This week I'm going to spend time at the Public Utilities Commission, meeting with one Commissioner and the senior staff of another. I'll also attend a hearing of the Commission about the recent power shut-offs. It's vital to provide the perspective of people who rely on uninterrupted power to live our lives. These are the people who will decide how California will make sure people with disabilities are not endangered by losing their electricity for days at a time. They need more than good intentions; their decisions must be informed by those of us who understand the full complexities of our lives.
If you've been meaning to support this fundraising campaign, it's a good time to do it. Thanks again to people who've already given!
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing people with disabilities and our allies. As the world gets hotter, the weather gets wilder, disasters become more frequent, and environments are endangered worldwide. We are all at risk from both one-time disasters and the long-term impacts of climate change, such as water shortages and migration.
In so many ways, people with disabilities' lives and the progress we’ve made – around social services, accessibility, independent living and more – might be diminished or even wiped out. If storms shut down public transit, people with disabilities who do not own cars will be stranded in danger’s way; if homes must be rebuilt, people in our community may not have the money to afford new housing; and those displaced by a climate emergency may be unable to secure healthcare and vital government services. Even worse, during emergencies, we might not survive.
In California electric utility companies have shut down power in large areas during “fire danger” weather. People who rely on electricity for mobility (for equipment like wheelchairs and for powering elevators) and for medical devices and equipment in their homes are at high risk from these outages. California policy makers must establish programs and requirements that allow people to stay in their own homes, whenever possible, with backup power generation and storage.
Deborah Kaplan, a pioneer and leader of the disability justice movement has decades of experience devising innovative approaches to bringing about widespread social change. She is an expert in change management, technology accessibility and law and policy. She is directly affected by these risks, as a power wheelchair user and someone who uses a ventilator and oxygen at night. She understands that people who live the complex experience of disability must be significantly involved in designing programs and policies that will actual make our lives better.
We are not simply a group of potential victims; the world needs our best thinking and involvement. Deborah Kaplan will use your financial support to change the role of people with disabilities through these crises. We will no longer simply be an afterthought, somehow having to fend for ourselves when people say “I’m sorry; I didn’t think about that.” We are survivors who know how to adapt and find new ways to get things done. We can be leaders, ahead of others in defining a real, on-the-ground energy resilient future.