National Council on Independent Living

National Conversation on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: Exploring Equity in a Shifting Landscape
2025-06-04 15:00 - 16:30 (America/Detroit)
Archive

Webinar recording

Transcript (Word)

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) recently convened a powerful national webinar titled A National Conversation on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, bringing together leading voices in the disability rights movement to address the evolving definitions and implications of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in today’s sociopolitical climate.

The conversation was moderated by Theo Braddy, Executive Director of NCIL and a long-standing leader in the independent living movement. Braddy opened the session by grounding the discussion in NCIL’s commitment to disability-led advocacy and the urgent need to defend and advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility’s principles under growing national scrutiny.

The panel featured two nationally recognized advocates:

Dara Baldwin

Activist, author, and outspoken voice for equity, Dara Baldwin has spent her career championing policies and practices that uplift marginalized communities. Known for her unapologetic commitment to racial and disability justice, Dara brings deep experience in policy development, community organizing, and intersectional advocacy. Dara Baldwin is the author of To Be a Problem: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement.

Vicki Landers

Founder and CEO of Disability Pride PA, Vicki Landers is a dynamic activist who has dedicated her work to empowering people with disabilities and amplifying pride in disability identity. As a business leader and community advocate, Vicki combines personal experience and professional expertise to fight for systemic change and social justice.

Together, the panelists explored the current attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, the real-world impacts on disability communities, and the role of grassroots leadership in reclaiming equity work from political distortion.

This conversation marked a critical step in strengthening the disability community’s unified voice on the importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, and what’s at stake if we remain silent.
