The “Ramp Your Voice!” conference will return June 5 from 11:30am to 6pm EST in a virtual format aimed at elevating Black disabled voices, leadership, and creativity through national conversations on disability justice and community building.
Organizers say the conference will bring together Black disabled leaders, artists, professionals, students, and allies committed to equity and justice.
The event is designed to create space for dialogue, collaboration, and storytelling while challenging the exclusion Black disabled people often face in advocacy, policymaking, and funding spaces.
The conference’s goals include centering Black disabled perspectives, spotlighting talent and creativity, building connections across generations and industries, and shifting public narratives to focus on joy, leadership, and power within Black disabled communities.
According to organizers, the event seeks to address longstanding inequities in disability advocacy and social justice movements, where Black disabled leaders have frequently been underrepresented despite their role in driving systemic change.
Ramp Your Voice! founder Vilissa Thompson, a disability rights activist and social worker, has long advocated for greater visibility for Black disabled people, particularly Black disabled women and femmes. Thompson also created the hashtag #DisabilityTooWhite, which drew national attention to racial disparities in disability advocacy spaces.
“Solely centering Black disabled voices is an intentional, unapologetic action,” Thompson said in conference materials published by Ramp Your Voice!
Organizers say the conference aims to create lasting impact beyond the one-day event. Expected outcomes include expanded opportunities for collaboration, increased visibility for Black disabled professionals and artists, a stronger pipeline for leadership development, and the creation of what organizers describe as a “living archive” of Black disabled stories and expertise.
The virtual format is expected to allow participants from across the country to engage in discussions, performances, and networking opportunities without geographic barriers.
Ramp Your Voice! has hosted previous conferences focused on disability justice, accessibility, and intersectionality, featuring advocates, journalists, artists, and scholars working across the disability rights movement.
More information about the conference is available through Ramp Your Voice!.
