18 January 2023 online

La Coalición Nacional para Latinx con Discapacidades

It has been over 30 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, but it has only been within the last decade that disabled Latinxs are becoming more visible and demanding disability justice. According to a 2016 national telephone survey conducted by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 61 million adults identified as having some type of disability, which means that 1 out of 4 people have a disability in the U.S. The 2010 census shows that 1 out of 6 people are Latina/o. Looking at the BRFSS data from 2016 to 2018, and comparing the Latino population with the rest of the country, there are now 11.8 million Latinas/os who identify with some type of disability— the two most frequent types being mobility impairments (15.5%) and cognitive impairments (13.3%). Although both the number of Latinxs, people with disabilities, and disabled Latinxs are increasing, we have yet to unify and position ourselves and leverage our power in the public and private sectors.

Within this context, the National Coalition for Latinxs with Disabilities (CNLD) has emerged as the first national organization whose sole mission is “to affirm, celebrate, and collectively uplift Latinxs with dis/abilities through community building, advocacy, protection of rights, resources, and education.” In this seminar we will discuss the purpose and goals of CNLD, its growing pains, its importance within the current U.S. sociopolitical climate, and the intersection of Latinidad, language, and disability identity.

Speakers

The National Coalition for Latinx with Disabilities is a volunteer organisation comprised of Disabled Latinx leaders and allies across the US. Their role is “to advocate, provide resources, and build community for Latinxs with disabilities” through building a national community of Latinxs with disabilities, their service providers and advocates; protecting the rights of Latinxs with disabilities; and providing educational and legal resources on issues important to the community.