HOW TO HELP

During the past year, our nation economy has been weaker than many had projected. Unfortunately, a weak economy often hits people with disabilities harder than many other populations. In addition to the hard economic times, people with disabilities continue to face a wide range of barriers preventing them from participating in basic day-to-day life activities.

While people with disabilities have made tremendous advances in areas such as employment, housing, transportation, and health care, much work still needs to be done. The alarmingly high unemployment rate of people with disabilities, the overwhelming lack of affordable and accessible housing options, and the need for increased accessible transportation choices must all be addressed.

Improving the quality of life for the disabled community is the responsibility of everyone — including people with disabilities, advocates, educators, and legislators. We must all work together to bring the issues affecting people with disabilities to the forefront of every agenda. We must all work together to remind every American that people with disabilities are, in fact, members of the community.

The Council for Disability Rights (CDR) continues to work hard to accomplish these types of goals for people with disabilities and their families and friends. During this past year, CDR has made many great advances for and on behalf of people with disabilities — often against all the odds. Below is a summary of the kinds of programs we work on to address t4he needs of people with disabilities.