Hot off the press! Today, hard copies of our new comic book, Fighting COVID, has been printed. The comic features a superhero with a disability that goes on a journey to fight coronavirus.

Months ago, our Social Justice Youth identified a need for accessible resources around COVID-19 prevention. The idea of a comic was a project the youth and our board member Mike Rosen got excited about. Thank you to local comic artist Shannon Wheeler for your work and creativity turning the idea into an amazing accessible resource, in English and Spanish, for us to share. Thanks, also, to Bridgetown Printers, for safely showing us the process!

If you are on our mailing list, you will be receiving our Stepping Up newsletter soon. This issue of Stepping Up includes an article, Fighting COVID, “Heck Yeah”, about the comic, as well as a page from the comic book you can tear out to use as a handwashing visual. Also, check out the fun pictures from our socially distanced Fighting COVID photoshoot. Many thanks to Jeff Day Photography!

So much work and heart went into this and we are so thankful for all the creative forces that came together to make it happen! We are interested in partnerships to explore another large print run, partnership with foundations to allow us to print more.

Click link above for KOIN news coverage about "Fighting Covid".

Estamos muy contentos de poder compartir este video que realizamos con mucho esfuerzo, en colaboración con otros líderes comunitarios que al igual que nuestra organización trabajan muy duro para brindar apoyo, información y abogacía a nuestra comunidad Hispana/Latina que experimenta discapacidades intelectuales/desarrollo y con el patrocinio a través de fondos que nos fueron otorgados de la Autoridad de Salud de Oregón.

Measure 26-215 calls for a landmark commitment of funds to support a vital inflection point at Portland Public Schools and creates a thoughtful investment in both physical buildings that are more accessible and safer as well as equipped for the 21st century needs of all students.

We ask you to vote yes for the bond as do our young people. Their voices can be heard here in the “Disability Rights are Civil Rights; Vote Yes on Measure 26-215 PPS Bond“ video created by members of our Social Justice Youth Group. Our youth are concerned about disability justice and we as an organization celebrate all the pieces of the bond package as disability and belonging means much more than just physical access to a school.

Daniel Jarvis Holland, a graduate of Benson Tech who studied media and experiences Down syndrome, writes in the voter’s pamphlet this statement, “Kids with disabilities and without should be able to go to school. Grandmas and volunteers, teachers with disabilities should be able to go into any school. When we go in the school teach all students all disabilities all races. We all belong. Instead of talking about equity VOTE for this bond.”