The WILL Center observes Disability Awareness Month

The WILL Center recognizes and celebrates Disability Awareness Month. We affirm that all people living with disabilities are deserving of accessibility and inclusion. We also recognize that advocacy and awareness are year-round efforts. As March comes and goes this year, it is our hope that allies to the disability community carry on their advocacy into the following months. We encourage allies of the disability community to be active in their advocacy. In observance of this month, we ask allies to use positive, affirming language for people with disabilities. We ask that they make space for people with disabilities and show respect for the people with disabilities they interact with. Allies can follow our social media platforms to be in tune with advocacy opportunities.

In 2022, the CDC reported that 1,382,302 Indiana adults have a disability. This is around 20% of our state population. Of those adults with select disability types, 12% have a mobility disability, 12% have cognitive disabilities, 7% have independent living disabilities, 6% have hearing disabilities, 5% have visual disabilities, and 3% have self-care disabilities (CDC, 2022). We see similar statistics at the national level.

In the counties we serve, between 10-15% of the population under 65 have a disability.  We believe independence and inclusion are vital for people with disabilities to thrive. We
encourage everyone to celebrate the ways we are all different and recognize what we have in common.

Happy Disability Awareness month! Let’s make the world around us kinder and more accepting. Let’s break down the barriers that keep us isolated.

For more information about Disability Awareness Month, please reach out to Dee Dodd, Executive Director of The WILL Center.