Our Guiding Principles
- NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US.
- Respect for all people, regardless of disability status, age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, cultural background, or citizenship.
- There is no “me” versus “them;” there is only “us.”
- We must hold ourselves accountable for our actions and make amends for our injustices towards others.
- Non-violent demonstration and a respect for human life and wellbeing. We believe in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Six Principles of Non-Violence:
- Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
- Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
- Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people.
- Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform.
- Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
- Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.
- To celebrate the diverse community of people living with disabilities, both in Pittsburgh and throughout the world.
- To increase the visibility of people living with disabilities, including awareness of invisible disabilities, and recognize our value as productive members of society.
- To empower individuals living with disabilities to be effective self-advocates.
- To recognize disability as the largest minority group and the largest group living under the poverty line in the United States.
- To bring together grassroots organizers, non-profits, civic organizations, and other groups because we are stronger together than apart.
- To reduce the stigma of asking for help, and to support those who ask.