One of the project goals was to recruit individuals and partners who would reflect the diversity of the local disability community. Interviews included individuals with a range of disabilities and chronic illnesses including: blindness, deafness, down syndrome, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, learning disability, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, scoliosis, and cancer. To facilitate accessibility needs, some interviewees participated using text-based communication rather than spoken words. Other interviewees were mothers who spoke about their experiences as caregivers to disabled children during the pandemic when vital services were lost. Through a partnership with the Salvation Army of Chester, we were able to include interviewees who were experiencing homelessness. This provided a view into the experience of disability in the context of poverty and unemployment or underemployment. These stories contrasted with others from individuals with more economic advantage. Interviewees also came from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. In particular, this led to the inclusion of stories about the intersection of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Diversity was also sought in recruiting writers and project staff, the majority of whom identify as people with disabilities. With the help of a writer fluent in Mandarin Chinese, we were also able to publish in the only Chinese language newspaper serving the Greater Philadelphia Area, The Metro Chinese Weekly. This allowed content about the experience of Chinese immigrants advocating for services for their children with disabilities.
Of the $9,520 in total project funds, $6,920 (73%) went to collaborators who identify as disabled.