Updates from Access Living

Access Living friends and allies:

Once again, it’s Friday and there’s been a lot going on! Today, we want to give you a heads up about a few different community events and activities. Scroll on to learn more.

Virtual Thanksgiving Gathering:

Join Access Living community members for a virtual open mic gathering. The event is Tuesday, November 24 from 5-6:30 pm Central Time. As we approach the winter holidays Covid-style, we want to support disabled people in finding connections and thankfulness. We will spend the time with a special short presentation from Access Living’s Arts & Culture Team, and hold an open mic where people can share their thoughts on questions such as:

• What are you thankful for this year?
• What are you doing to feel more connected with others this Thanksgiving?
• What are some Thanksgiving traditions you enjoy?
• What resources or supports do you need during the Covid pandemic right now?

All are welcome, no matter where you live! If you are feeling the need for some disability community, this is a good opportunity. The event will have ASL, captioning, and Spanish translation. Please RSVP at this link. For reasonable accommodation requests, please contact Jerome at jpalliser@accessliving.org. This event is free and open to all.

Watch #LeadOnLIVE: Access Living’s Gala…Reimagined, Online Now:

We are very grateful to everyone who joined us in real time. It was an incredible show! If you missed it, have no fear, we recorded it and it is available to watch on-demand at this link. There were a number of great segments covering our service and advocacy work, and of course honoring our founder, Marca Bristo. It is not too late to donate! You can make donations to support Access Living at this link.

Supporting Mercy Hospital in Chicago:

This weekend, if you are in Chicago, don’t miss grassroots disability activist Michael Grice and Access Living’s Healthcare/Home and Community Based Services Organizer Ryan McGraw in an interview with ADAPT Productions regarding the fight to stop the closure of Mercy Hospital. Mercy Hospital is a community safety net hospital serving largely Black and Brown communities on Chicago’s Near South Side. The interview will be on CANTV (Chicago local channel 19) at 11:30 am Central Time tomorrow morning, Saturday November 21. The interview will also air on Saturday, November 28 at 11:30 am Central Time. To learn more about the fight to save Mercy, led by local Black activists, see this link.

Please share with interested disability community members. Thank you!