Lois Curtis, an artist and disability rights activist with intellectual and developmental disabilities, was the lead plaintiff in Olmstead v. L.C., a landmark civil rights decision for disabled people. In that 1999 case, the United States Supreme Court ruled that “the unjustified segregation of people with disabilities was a form of unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.” Lois’ legacy of both her work and her advocacy is reflective of how art and activism from Black disabled people has played a vital role in furthering civil rights and social justice movements.

Disabled people—especially those who are multi-marginalized—are all too often overlooked in creative spaces and excluded from support and funding opportunities. And we must recognize that race and disability are inextricably linked. There are 61 million adults in the United States with a disability, and one in four Black Americans have a disability. All of philanthropy—not only foundations focused on racial equity and justice—must start by fostering a sense of inclusion that respects and uplifts the lived experiences of Black disabled creatives.

The Disability & Philanthropy Forum’s research demonstrates that disability rights and social justice—the type of systemic change that Lois Curtis stood for—is grossly underfunded by philanthropy at only 0.1% of foundation giving. If funders want to meaningfully advance equity and justice, they must change their approach and fund disability rights and justice; and rethink their approach to funding Black disabled creatives and communities.

Foundations should seek opportunities to fund arts and culture efforts led by Black disabled people. Let’s take, for example, artist residencies. Funders can make the process inclusive by publicizing their residencies to Black artists and providing clear information about how to make requests for accommodations to ensure accessibility both during the application process and throughout the residency. Funders must also support the development of accessible creative spaces and showcase works from creatives with disabilities, such as the Black Disabled Virtual Showcase presented by Disability Pride Madison.

Read the full article about Black disabled artists by Gail Fuller at Grantmakers in the Arts.