The National Disability Leadership Alliance (NDLA) is extremely concerned and offended by the rhetoric in President Obama’s January 5th speech linking people with disabilities – specifically people with mental health disabilities – to gun violence. Bringing disability into discussions about gun violence and mass shootings only serves to further dangerous, ableist myths that individuals with disabilities are responsible for such violence. This is simply not the case. There is considerable scientific evidence demonstrating there is no link between mental health and violence. Just because an action is unthinkable, that does not mean that it is the result of a disability.

Although President Obama stated that he wants to “continue to de-stigmatize mental health issues,” his plan only serves to further stigmatize us as dangerous perpetrators of gun violence.

Additionally, NDLA is concerned that the Obama administration is implementing policies that undermine our fundamental right to privacy and undercut the Constitutional right of individuals with representative payees. We are concerned that this paves the way to take away other rights from people with disabilities, including our rights to marry, raise our children, and vote.

NDLA calls upon President Obama to change his rhetoric on gun violence and people with disabilities, find real solutions to gun violence that do not use the Disability Community as a scapegoat, and apologize to the Disability Community for spreading these dangerous stereotypes about our people. Help send a message of Disability solidarity and sign your organization onto the NDLA letter to the Obama administration. Sign on below:

Click Here to read the letter.
Click Here to see a complete list of organizations who have signed on as supporters.

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