Between the overlapping crises of the Covid-19 pandemic and the wildfires across Oregon, many of our community members are under increased stress, isolation, and anxiety. Many families and individuals are feeling strain on their physical and mental health, as well as household resources. For a list of health services for youth, elders, drug users, and other community members, visit the Oregon Department of Human Services website.
Monthly Archives: September 2020
Chalking for a Cause: #BeautyForAccess
On a beautiful September morning, a group of chalk artists of various ages and (dis)abilities gathered in downtown Corvallis to kick off the sidewalk chalk art campaign Beauty For Access. Beauty For Access helps mark the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act while also calling caring public attention to the ongoing inaccessibility of material environments for people with disabilities. Participants beautified material spaces (e.g. sidewalks and plazas) to imagine them as more welcoming to the bodyminds of disabled people.
Josephine and Allison getting ready to make art 
Abstract chalk art shaped like petals and lightning bolts points to an uneven part of the sidewalk 
George and Laura create sidewalk art 
A group of five chalk artists stands six feet apart from a pair of chalk artists in sunny downtown Corvallis; both gorups are holding containers of chalk.
Article: “Disabled Americans can’t be a Covid-19 afterthought”
Article Preview: “The Covid-19 pandemic continues to unearth some uncomfortable truths about our nation, as the inequities that too often live below the surface are bubbling up for all to see.One such failure that must be more widely addressed and immediately rectified is the neglect of people with disabilities, many of whom are among the most endangered by Covid-19, as their conditions or chronic illnesses may leave them at greater physical risk of suffering the virus’s devastating effects.” Continue reading this article by Richard E. Besser and Rebecca Cokley at CNN.
Article: “Ending Census Early Could Impact Disability Programs For Years”
Article Preview: “Plans to end the census a month ahead of schedule may mean fewer people are counted and less funding is available over the next decade for disability services, advocates warn. The U.S. Census Bureau was expected to collect responses from people across the nation through the end of October after making adjustments to its plan earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. But this month, the agency announced that it would instead halt all collection activities Sept. 30.” Continue reading this article by Michelle Diament at Disability Scoop.