JVP (Jewish Voices for Peace) held their first National Member Conference since 2020 this year, and Disability Justice was at the forefront of planning this over 2K attendee MASKS REQUIRED event!
About the Access Experience
Jesenia (@neurospicynetworking) from Calling Up Justice, supported assembling a team of access doulas to join the leadership of Embraced Body in providing access services for the JVP National member conference! We were impressed that such a large org were centering Disability Justice. This large gathering honored keeping each other safe with MASKS REQUIRED indoors and covid-testing daily. This is a good example for other orgs to learn from and understand the value of protecting our community to keep us going in the fight against genocides!
The Access table was front and center, Disabled and Non-disabled alike utilized and benefited from our work! Many people were really grateful for our efforts and appreciated JVP for providing accessibility to this event! Each person on our disabled access doula team came with different access knowledge and we all learned from each other. From signage and size and space considerations, to ensuring staff and attendee’s needs were addressed, we were able to successfully produce a large gathering in a covid-safer environment!
Everyone Benefits from Disability Justice
We were there to support the dozens of activists, scholars, leaders, dissenters, and truth-tellers who gathered in for workshops, speeches, and connection. Members attended to skill up, strategize and learn from each other to help stop the genocide in Gaza, mobilize in the fight against fascism in the US, and work on moving our community to a Judaism beyond Zionism.
Movement leaders and rabbis joined members from all over the country, were present to speak against genocide including:
Dr. Angela Davis, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, author Naomi Klein, lawyer Noura Erakat, BDS Movement co-founder Omar Barghouti, Congresswoman Cori Bush and Rabbi Ariana Katz of the Hinenu Baltimore synagogue, alongside Palestinians who have lived and worked in Gaza during the genocide including photojournalist Motaz Azaiza, poet Mosab Abu Toha and medics Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Dr. Feroze Sidhwal and Dr. Tammy Abughnaim.
This was a masks-required event with daily COVID testing – showing that a major organization can prioritize keeping our community safe while doing critical work against genocide. The access team got to show in practice how accessibility can be woven into large-scale organizing.
To incorporate more Access and Disability Justice Principles into your work both virtually or in-person, reach out to schedule a consultation with us.
About the Author
Jesenia, a collaborator with Calling Up Justice and cofounder of One Free Community, is working to build a more equitable and inclusive world via collective action by building communities. Learn more on her Website or Read Jesenia’s Bio.