I wake up every morning and my love for this city only grows. Living in the nation's capitol has given me a life of newfound independence; where I can travel anywhere, anytime. Whether it is going to Trader Joes or a networking event, I continuously feel privileged and thankful to have the opportunity to be a disabled, independent woman. And despite the occasional Capitol South metro elevator breakdown, my life has appeared to be very accessible. Yet in reality, there are minute-by-minute barriers that people with disabilities face even in this magnificent, fast-paced city. And that has been specifically obvious this past week.
Another reason why I love Washington, DC is because it is filled with social justice and civil rights advocates. So one would expect that if an individual is fighting for equality they would include people with disabilities; but unfortunately this has not been the case. This leads to a moral-dilemma. As a disabled advocate, do I attend social justice events and programs that are not inclusive and accessible to disability or do I refuse to go? As I have been struck with this problem, it breaks my heart that in this progressive city filled with change agents, social justice events are still exclusive of disability.
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