Disability Day to be named Advocate of the Georgia’s Year. been working in the disability movement about 15 I’ve years, and been my objective to advocate on the state and it’s local level for issues surrounding independent living. I want my community to have fair housing and accessible transportation like Atlanta, so I serve on a local housing task force and transportation committee. I also organize political forums in my town so our legislators know what issues are important to people with disabilities. involved in advocacy on the state level by serving on I’m the board for Statewide Independent Living Council. Georgia’s It takes a lot of long hours, and I see change for don’t always a year or two, but at least I know working on it. we’re In my community, I started BAIN (Bainbridge Advocacy Individual Network), which is our independent living area’s center. Before BAIN, we had no agency advocating for services for people with disabilities in Bainbridge. We didn’t have a voice. So I pulled together as many people with disabilities as I could on the local level so we could start doing changing that. I love the country and want to move. I don’t think we can make a change in Bainbridge, when we work together. Going to Disability Day at the Capitol helps keep us fired up. It gives people in Bainbridge the opportunity to come together with people across the state to celebrate our rights and feel united in our common cause. Once you experience Disability Day once, you always want to come back. I get excited and want to bring the passion and advocacy spirit back to my local community. Virginia Harris is the founder and executive director of BAIN, an independent living center in Bainbridge, Georgia, run by
Disability Day to be named Georgia’s Advocate of the Year. I’ve been working in the disability movement about 15 years, and it’s been my objective to advocate on the state and local level for issues surrounding independent living. I want my community to have fair housing and accessible transportation like Atlanta, so I serve on a local housing task force and transportation committee. I also organize political forums in my town so our legislators know what issues are important to people with disabilities. I’m involved in advocacy on the state level by serving on the board for Georgia’s Statewide Independent Living Council. It takes a lot of long hours, and I don’t always see change for a year or two, but at least I know we’re working on it. In my community, I started BAIN (Bainbridge Advocacy Individual Network), which is our area’s independent living center. Before BAIN, we had no agency advocating for services for people with disabilities in Bainbridge. We didn’t have a voice. So I pulled together as many people with disabilities as I could on the local level so we could start doing changing that. I love the country and don’t want to move. I think we can make a change in Bainbridge, when we work together. Going to Disability Day at the Capitol helps keep us fired up. It gives people in Bainbridge the opportunity to come together with people across the state to celebrate our rights and feel united in our common cause. Once you experience Disability Day once, you always want to come back. I get excited and want to bring the passion and advocacy spirit back to my local community. Virginia Harris is the founder and executive director of BAIN, an independent living center in Bainbridge, Georgia, run by