Archive:
October 28, 2021; 1:00 to 2:30 PM Eastern
Trainer: Dom Kelly, Senior Fundraising Manager and Disability Council Lead at Fair Fight Action
Guest Speaker: Vilissa Thompson, Founder and CEO of Ramp Your Voice
Change doesn’t just happen after Election Day; whether you’re running for office, working or volunteering on a campaign, or are at an organization working to get out the vote, you have the power to advocate for greater access and inclusion. Here you’ll learn how to make the case that change can’t wait until and learn strategies to advocate for your community. Our guest speaker will be Vilissa Thompson, a nationally renowned leader and expert who educates the public and political figures about the plight of disabled people, especially Black disabled women and femmes.
About Dom Kelly
Dom Kelly is the Senior Fundraising Manager at Fair Fight Action, a voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams, and a passionate disability justice advocate. He also founded and leads Fair Fight Action’s Disability Council composed of prominent disability advocates and policy experts from across the country. Dom is one of a set of triplets with Cerebral Palsy and has been involved in disability advocacy since he was four years old. Starting when he was a young teenager, Dom and his brothers toured around the world with their rock band, touring and collaborating with artists like Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, The Bangles, and more and releasing 6 records over 15+ years. He is now retired from music, but with a decade of experience in digital and editorial strategy, he has devoted his life to progressive politics and advocacy and is finishing up his second master’s degree in nonprofit leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. Dom currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Catie, their dog Vivi, and their cat Pippi Longstocking.
About Vilissa Thompson
Vilissa Thompson, LMSW is the Founder & CEO of Ramp Your Voice!, an organization focused on promoting self-advocacy and strengthening empowerment among disabled people. Being a Disability Rights Consultant, Writer, & Activist affords Vilissa the opportunity to be a prominent leader and expert in addressing and educating the public and political figures about the plight of disabled people, especially disabled Black women and femmes.
In addition to her activism work, she is represented as a speaker by CCMNT Speakers.
She also acted as a consultant for the Sen. Elizabeth Warren 2020 Presidential campaign, where she assisted in the development of the Disability Rights & Equality policy plan.
She created the #DisabilityTooWhite viral hashtag in 2016 that addressed the lack of diversity within the disability community, and how a lack of representation impacts disabled people of color and their ability to feel fully included and accepted within the community. Demanding that diverse disabled experiences be seen within media and the collective community is a mission for Vilissa’s activism focus, and she aims to make this a permanent reality.
Everything she does revolves around being unapologetically herself – Black, disabled, and making good trouble to shake up the status quo.
Photo of Vilissa Thompson, a young Black woman with her hair parted and hanging down straight. She is smiling and facing the camera sideways in her wheelchair. She is outside under the tree branches while wearing a white and black dress.
Dom Kelly, a white man with brown hair on his head wearing a light denim collared shirt, standing in front of a tree surrounded by green leaves.
