As a professional with a disability and the President & CEO of an organization focused on empowering children and adults with disabilities, I have dedicated my life and career to challenging the longstanding inequities and unconscious biases that still exist in all areas of our society. These past several weeks have been a devastating wakeup call about the realities of social injustice in the United States.
We can’t move on from this moment in time without committing to growth. We must strive for better leadership. We must build better models of social equity and justice. We must establish a social structure that provides an equal platform from which we can achieve and be rewarded for helping humankind rather than only ourselves.
My colleagues and I at The Viscardi Center are firmly committed to creating an environment of diversity, inclusion, understanding, and opportunity not only within our own walls, but far beyond. We are listening, supporting, and learning from one another as we continue our mission to work towards a world that’s accessible and safe for all – regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. The time for change is now.
John D. Kemp
President & CEO
The Viscardi Center