Today marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA was a pivotal moment for the disability justice movement -- but there is still so much work to be done in both our culture and our laws for the 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 children who have a disability. 

As we work towards a more equitable and inclusive future, we want to make one thing clear: Gun violence is a disability justice issue and disability justice is gun violence prevention.

Not every kid can hide under a desk during classroom lockdowns. Not everyone can process the chaos that ensues during a shooting. Not every person can run from a shooter. Not every adult is able to communicate with the police when they are in crisis. And at least 28% of shooting survivors (including myself) develop PTSD, a form of disability. Yet, very rarely are people with disabilities considered when thinking through safety plans, evident by our own government’s advice of “run, hide, fight.” Maybe instead of drilling “run, hide, fight” into our heads, our government should be working to stop shootings from happening in the first place.

The onus of keeping kids with disabilities safe in schools shouldn’t be on the kids and their families. It shouldn’t even be on the schools. Making bullet-proof backpacks, giving ‘good guys’ guns, sending police to handle a mental health crisis, and creating other weak “solutions” aren’t going to keep our communities safe. Our elected officials need to put partisan politics and NRA-bribes aside and do the right thing -- pass gun violence prevention laws to keep all of us safe.

Tweet to demand your elected officials pass comprehensive gun violence legislation in honor of the 30th anniversary of the ADA!

When we fight for gun violence prevention, we are fighting for every person. And we will never stop this fight until we have real legislative action that promotes peace and safety. The movement will be accessible. ✊

In solidarity,
Lauren Hogg, Co-Founder
March For Our Lives