Respect-Ability Coalition

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The Coalition is a statewide cross-disability coalition dedicated to implementing the goals of the Disability Rights Agenda, the Respect-ABILITY Conference, and Capitol Action Day.

The Coalition consists of organizations and individuals from throughout California for whom an essential part of their mission is disability rights issues, and who have committed to supporting and implementing the Disability Rights Agenda. We will include a variety of disabilities, racial & ethnic communities, ages, and perspectives. We will act together to formulate and implement policy on major issues facing the disability rights movement. We will also act in our individual and organizational capacities to develop and implement our own strategies to achieve the Disability Rights Agenda goals. The Coalition will provide support for our individual and organizational activities and a mechanism for sharing ideas and successful strategies.

As a member of the Coalition, you will be asked to articulate and implement a strategy pursuant to the Disability Rights Agenda and to report to, and work with, the Coalition. Organizational members will be asked to appoint a person within the organization to participate in the Coalition’s activities and to receive and disseminate Coalition information and actions. Your successes will help form the basis of future Disability Rights Agendas, Respect-ABILITY Conferences, and Capitol Action Day events, as well. Your efforts will be models for other groups to follow to change the state of California for people with disabilities.

As an organizational member, your organization will be listed on Respect-ABILITY materials and will have the option to sign on or opt out of Coalition policies. Organizations and individual members will also have the option to participate on the Respect-ABILITY Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will meet quarterly and members will participate on subcommittees handling coalition projects. Steering Committee members will represent a diverse cross-section of disabilities, as well as other communities within the disability community. Steering Committee members will consist of both organizational and individual at-large members and will be liaisons with the broader Coalition membership.

We hope you and/or your organization will join the Coalition and participate actively in transforming the disability rights movement in California.

The Mission of the RespectAbility
Coalition is to implement and carry forward the Goals and Objectives of the Disability Rights Agenda and to ensure that the Disability Rights Agenda continues to represent the needs of the California disability community and to reflect the political, social, and other external factors influencing the California disability community.

Our Primary Responsibilities:

	Identifying strategies to implement the Disability Rights Agenda, appointing members to take responsibility for carrying out those strategies, being responsible and accountable for carrying out those strategies
	Organizing periodic RespectAbility Conferences to bring the California disability community together, to update the goals and objectives of the Disability Rights Agenda, and to promote and strengthen the disability community’s commitment to disability rights
	Developing, articulating, and publicizing agree upon positions, as a coalition, on matters directly affecting the Disability Rights Agenda in legislative, regulatory, policy, media, and community forums
	Communicating with member organizations, interested nonmember organizations, and interested individuals about the RespectAbility Coalition’s activities, positions, and programs.