Dec 02, 2020 at 12:55 pm

Dec 3 – Walk with Pa Today – via the “Global Pro Bono Move”

Update posted by Team GO PA

It is 1 month since Pavina (Pa) went into the hospital to have part of her skull replaced with a plastic shell. This was done because it was removed back in August, during the emergency treatment related to the stroke she suffered. The surgery went really well, she continues to get stronger and stronger with her physical therapy sessions and as expected is passionately back into the flow of her access to justice work. Please see the photo section on this page to see some updated pics of Pa during her journey to date.

Back on World Stroke Day (29 October 2020), Team GO PA first reached out to our Justice Community for support and we have had an amazing response from more than 100 people, students, teachers, friends, family, professionals, organizations all coming together to support Pa on her road to recovery.

The support has been wide and varied, and has included such important financial support for Pa and her family, in this time of real need. We can’t thank you enough, and also want to let those of you who still would like, and are able to add to this financial support, you can do so through the DONATE NOW button.

In addition to financial support, we are asking all of you for another type of support, both for Pa and for other Persons with Disabilities.

Today, Dec 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD), and we ask you to “Walk with Pa”. Pa is challenging each of you to walk 60 meters virtually with her. To connect to Pa and register your 60 meter walk with her, click here to join the Global Pro Bono Move via the Strava App on your phone. Here is a video of Pa walking 60 meters click on the photo to view!

This year’s IDPWD theme is “Not all Disabilities are visible”.

“According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition— and two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to stigma, discrimination and neglect.

Another 69 million individuals are estimated to sustain Traumatic Brain Injuries each year worldwide, while one in 160 children are identified as on the autism spectrum.

These are just some examples of the millions of people currently living with a disability that is not immediately apparent, and a reminder of the importance of removing barriers for all people living with disability, both visible and invisible.” www.idpwd.org

We are incredibly honored to work alongside so many in the justice sector working toward a more fair, equitable world. Doing this though requires all of us to work hard to expand how we think about equity and justice. When we seek to be more inclusive, we must ask, “Who are we leaving out?” Over the course of today we encourage you to share your thoughts and support of advancing disability justice. Whether it be promoting the voices of the disability community, creating a disability pilot project, or developing a larger program dedicated to disability rights, each effort moves our institutions and organizations—and the sector—further in the direction of “justice for all”.

“Without reflecting on how disability impacts our work, incorporating that thinking into our programs and policies, and addressing ableism across the board, justice will remain elusive for one in five of us.” Catherine Hyde Townsend [Senior Advisor of Disability Inclusion at the Ford Foundation.]

So on this date of December 3rd, International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD), let’s all of us both “Walk with Pa” and reflect and expand our thoughts and focus on helping to ensure justice for all, includes Persons with Disabilities.

We can’t thank you enough!

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