If you know Memphis, you know this city doesn’t wait for permission. We don’t sit around waiting for the rest of the country to catch up. We never have.

 

We’re the city that made the world hear us when many didn’t want to listen. The city that stood shoulder to shoulder with sanitation workers in 1968, their iconic 'I Am a Man' declarations echoing a demand for dignity when much of the country looked away.

 

Indeed, 75 years ago in 1950, when families of children with disabilities were met with closed doors and told their children didn’t belong—in public schools, in workplaces, in their own neighborhoods—Memphis parents and pioneering advocates refused to accept it. They transformed church basements and borrowed spaces into makeshift classrooms. They organized volunteer carpools when public school buses wouldn’t stop for their children. Parent-led groups began to emerge, creating day programs and vocational training in a society that believed these kids would never work.

 

We were right to do it. We’ve witnessed the undeniable truth of what happens when people are given a genuine chance and meaningful support. We’ve seen individuals with disabilities establish successful careers, become homeowners, launch their own businesses, pay taxes, and serve as mentors. They enrich our communities and contribute to the cultural and economic fabric of this city in countless ways, proving every day that their abilities and contributions are limitless.

 

And so, here we are, more than seven decades into this journey. The waitlists for crucial services can stretch for years, leaving families in agonizing limbo. Many parents and caregivers still feel like they are carrying this fight largely on their own, navigating complex systems and patching together support. Despite progress, people with disabilities are still too often shut out from equitable opportunities in employment, housing, and full community inclusion.

 

We didn’t lay this foundation only to see it eroded by inaction or inadequate resources. We didn’t champion inclusion for 75 years to watch progress stall while our neighbors wait. If Memphis started this revolution of dignity and opportunity, then Memphis needs to see it through by ensuring timely access to services, championing true inclusion, and adequately funding these vital supports. The job is still ours, and it requires our collective voice and action now.