| Like many of you, I woke up this morning with… well, let’s just call them feelings and leave it there for the moment.
I also woke up with a strong desire to revisit the mission, vision, and values of this organization. It was an important first step for me before even beginning the work of thinking about next steps and planning for the future. But, more importantly (and to be brutally honest), I really needed some motivation.
APSE’s goal is to advance employment equity for people with disabilities. We are a community that has and will always support equal rights and fair treatment for everyone, both in the workplace and in the community. We believe that everyone can and should work and have the dignity of determining their career path.
Our values are not political in nature. In this respect, nothing has changed. Like many, I continue to absorb the outcome of this election cycle and what it means for the Employment First movement. For me, there’s one clear takeaway. We are a nation divided, but equally so. There was neither a red or blue “tsunami,” and races were decided along very slim margins. To me, this only reaffirms the importance of maintaining our identity as a non-partisan organization. The issues we care about are not partisan issues, although it can certainly feel that way at times. The issues we care about are human rights issues.
Regardless, there ultimately are “winners” in terms of the make-up of the Administrative and Legislative branches of government as we head into 2025. In some cases, those winners openly promote policies that work in direct opposition to maintaining equal rights for all. I don’t say this as a political statement, but as a statement of fact from a public policy perspective.
As a result, we must acknowledge that there are many within the APSE network (and across this country) who are legitimately and reasonably afraid of what comes next and what it will mean for themselves, their family, their friends and their communities. This is especially the case for our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ colleagues and friends, and it makes our work more critical than ever. As we know, disability is the ultimate unifier in the sense that it does not discriminate. Disability exists within all communities. Thus, the Employment First movement sits firmly in an intersectional space. This simply cannot be ignored.
Whether you as an individual woke up despondent, elated or ambivalent this morning, this simple fact remains: We, as APSE, have a responsibility to advance employment equity. This is our mission. However, it is a mission that cannot be achieved unless we are actively engaging in the broader work of ensuring equal rights and protections for all. Our work must give specific intention to protecting the rights and well-being of those who are the most vulnerable, particularly those who are multi-marginalized.
I’m grateful for this community, and I look forward to our continued work together. |
