Episode #74: Advocacy for all: ABLE Americans and Disability Rights

Show Notes: In this interview, Melissa Ortiz, Senior Advisor for ABLE Americans, discusses the mission and initiatives of the organization focused on advocating for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. The conversation highlights several key points: Focus on Human Dignity: Melissa emphasizes the importance of recognizing the inherent dignity and value of every individual, regardless of their disabilities. She believes that every person is made in the image of God and should be treated with respect and consideration. Goals and Programs: ABLE Americans aims to create impactful policies, resources, and support systems for individuals with disabilities. Melissa mentions their plans to develop an app, a speaker's bureau, legal assistance, and a job finder tool. They seek to address a range of issues including education, employment, healthcare, and more. Collaboration and Advocacy: Melissa shares her commitment to collaborating with various organizations, government agencies, and policymakers to promote inclusion and positive change for people with disabilities. She discusses her efforts to engage with politicians from both sides of the aisle to ensure that disability issues are properly addressed in legislation. Championing Individuality: Melissa underscores the need to view each person with a disability as a unique individual rather than defining them solely by their condition. She advocates for breaking down stereotypes and advocating for policies that empower individuals to participate fully in society. Involvement and Support: Melissa encourages individuals, families, caregivers, and educators to get involved by sharing personal stories, contributing resources, and connecting with ABLE Americans. She stresses the importance of joining together to create positive change and to support one another on the journey toward greater inclusivity. Overall, the interview provides insights into the meaningful work of ABLE Americans, shedding light on their mission to create a more inclusive and supportive society for people with disabilities. Connect with Melissa: Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcbelleonwheels Instagram: https://instagram.com/dcbelleonwheels Facebook: https://facebook.com/melissa.d.ortiz Email: [email protected] Connect with ABLE Americans: Website: https://nationalcenter.org/programs/able-americans/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbleAmericans Connect with Us: https://linktr.ee/waterprairie Sign up for the Water Prairie Newsletter: https://waterprairie.com/newsletter Support this channel: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/waterprairie Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Meet Today's Guest: Melissa Ortiz serves the National Center for Public Policy Research as the organization’s Senior Advisor for the ABLE Americans Project. In her role, she develops the project’s strategic plan, marshals key resources and helps oversee the implementation of the project. She also assists the National Center’s president in identifying necessary contractors, employees, strategic partners, stakeholders and donors and serves as a key spokesperson. Melissa identifies as a “happy warrior” and is enthusiastic about driving a dialogue between people living with disabilities or chronic illness and policy makers across the political spectrum, especially conservatives. She has worked in the classroom in Nashville, Tennessee and in the nonprofit sector in New York City and Washington, DC. She was honored to serve as President Trump’s Commissioner of the Administration on Disabilities. The first female board member of The Conservative Caucus, one of the oldest conservative groups in existence, she currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband Tony and Service Dog Dachshund, Annie Oakley.