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| | Dear Supporter, Fifty years ago this month, the legacy of Willowbrook State School in New York ended a dark chapter in our country’s history and established that people with disabilities have the right to live in the community, not warehoused in institutions. Today, proposed Medicaid cuts are threatening our community’s hard-won rights to the supports and services that make independent living possible. We won’t go back, and we need you to tell Congress why! |
| | Disability Advocates Save Lives At Willowbrook — just like at Oregon’s Fairview Training Center, which Disability Rights Oregon successfully advocated for decades to close — 6,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were being neglected, abused, sterilized, and denied basic dignity. When Senator Robert Kennedy visited in 1965, he called it a "snake pit," but elected leaders did nothing. It took Geraldo Rivera's shocking TV exposé seven years later — and outraged families who became advocates — to kickstart real change. Only when cameras exposed the truth and parents took to the courts did Willowbrook's shameful reality finally face justice. |
| Tell Legislators: We Won’t Go Back! Willowbrook State School would not have closed without the advocacy of individuals with disabilities, parents, journalists, and people like you. Today we need to fight again, together. Please email Congress today — or call 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected with your Senator. Tell them to protect Medicaid funding that supports community living and the healthcare services we need to live. Fifty years after the Willowbrook Consent Decree, we must not turn back the clock on disability rights! |
| | 🗓️ Opportunities & Announcements - 3rd Annual OSAC Inclusive Leadership Summit: Mark your calendar for the return of an incredible opportunity to connect with self-advocates, leaders, and allies from across Oregon. Together you’ll celebrate empowerment, connection, and true inclusion.
- Believe Abused Children – Oppose HB 3835A: A bill that guts essential protections for Oregon’s children and teens continues to advance in the legislature! If HB 3835 becomes law, every child and teen in Oregon will be impacted. The Oregon Department of Human Services will police itself, and our most vulnerable will continue to be hurt — or worse. Foster youth will again be sent out-of-state, and children who report abuse could be ignored or dismissed. Tell House Rules Committee Members to Protect Youth and Vote NO on HB 3835A! >
- New Special Education Guide Now Available: The 7th edition of Special Education: A Guide for Parents is now published! We invite you to keep this guide as a reference for how to advocate for the free and appropriate education that children and youth are legally entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Nuances of an individualized education plan (IEP) are also included as well as ways to be an effective member of a child's education team, and lots more. The Spanish version will publish this summer, so stay tuned! Download the new Special Education Guide for Parents (English language) >
- Know Your Rights at a Protest: We’ve created a helpful guide that explains your First Amendment rights to assemble and express your views. Download the guide and understand your rights before you attend a protest! >
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| | PIP, PIP, Hooray! We did it! After 10 years away, Oregon Partners in Policymaking® (PIP) came back strong with our Graduation Benefit & Reception earlier this month, thanks to lead sponsors the Fairview Trust and Kuni Foundation! This year's graduating class included 22 amazing people — eight self-advocates and 14 parents of children with disabilities from all over Oregon. |
| | During the festive event, three graduates shared why they signed up for the eight-month, intensive advocacy training and how they plan to put it into action. We also enjoyed an inspiring keynote from Inclusion International President Sue Swenson, and fun raffles and yummy refreshments while visiting with friends old and new. Thanks to everyone who came and supported the event. Your help means we can keep this important program going at Disability Rights Oregon. We know there is power in numbers, and building a larger advocacy movement helps guarantee our community never loses rights, access to places, or opportunities to live happy, fulfilling lives. |
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| Sincerely,
Jake Cornett
Executive Director and CEO
Disability Rights Oregon |
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| | | Disability Rights Oregon
511 SW 10th Avenue #200
Portland, Oregon 97205
503-243-2081 droregon.org |
| | © 2025 Disability Rights Oregon |
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