Today, I’m officially launching INTO Strategies, a Disabled-led firm focused on bringing people into campaigns, moments, and movements through:
🟣Access Consulting
🟣Candidate Training
🟣Speaking and Workshops
🟣Public Engagement Strategy
8 years ago,
@PeteButtigieg
visited my high school history class to talk to us about his campaign for Mayor.
today, I’m overwhelmed to announce that I’ve officially accepted a position with his campaign for PRESIDENT.
brb, practicing my Wheel & Talk.
An airline broke my wheelchair last night. It’s unusable.
There’s nothing left to say that hasn’t already been said about this careless, wholly avoidable cruelty.
You know what’s unsettling? The shock value has worn off.
Disabled people need for it to not wear off for you.
BIG NEWS!
Today marks Day 2 as an Associate Director in the
@WhiteHouse
Office of Public Engagement!
In this role, I’ll partner with the 6 million+ disabled Americans as we demand access & justice. Our experiences are as diverse as our diagnoses, but together we’re stronger.
A Buttigieg Vice Presidency just makes sense.
He's the best communicator in the party, bar none. He breaks through to Rs, undecideds, and your uncle that only watches Fox.
He has a robust & ACTIVE donor network.
He's a gay Navy Veteran, former rust belt mayor, & dad.
wheelchair repair technician just called while on the way to my house:
“we’re going to have to take the chair with us for the repair. should take two weeks at the most. I assume that’s okay?”
NOPE!
I’m a disabled American, but it’s not my genetic code that’s slowing me down. It’s our society’s daily attempt to tell me that I’m less deserving of dignity, decency, and access.
@PeteButtigieg
& his plan demand belonging. Humbled to be a part of this project.
People with disabilities are too often asked to navigate a world that was not built with them in mind. That’s why
@PeteButtigieg
released his plan to break down such barriers and ensure an American dream that’s accessible to all.
thread alert! indulge me.
30 years ago today, following tooth-and-nail insistence, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. less than 2 years later, a random genetic mutation would place me amongst its beneficiaries.
1/
Airlines,
Breaking my chair, so egregiously that it isn’t even functional, is more than inconvenient.
It’s debilitating.
It’s humiliating.
It’s dehumanizing.
& it’s preventable.
Pete Buttigieg is the Vice President that Americans with disabilities deserve. He’s spent the past 4+ years putting in the work in ways no other contender has.
.
@PeteButtigieg
didn't hire me to check a box or fill a quota, nor did he hire me in spite of my disability.
He hired me because I'm a qualified individual with a unique perspective from which he could learn and grow.
Bad news: took a fall, broke my leg, & need to take a little time off the trail.
Great news: a big deposit in my sleep bank, puppy snuggles, & a
#PFA
team that’s wrapped me in love (including a get well voicemail from
@PeteButtigieg
😉)
Commence
#WinTheEra
, couch edition.
I’ve been on the road with
@Chas10Buttigieg
for 8 months. I’ve watched him talk in 20+ states.
Tonight, his stump speech gave me goosebumps & made my eyes a little misty.
Not only are Pete Buttigieg & his husband hustling; they’re refusing to sacrifice an ounce of quality.
"We think trains, planes and automobiles. But what about bikes, scooters — wheelchairs, for that matter? And getting around in a way that's a little closer to home."
-
@USDOT
@PeteButtigieg
on
@axios
I'm certain most able-bodieds don't see the significance of this scope shift.
“But the next purity test he listed was surprising: the calls to outlaw plastic straws. ‘Anybody who thinks we ought to ban plastic straws should first have a conversation about disability,’ Buttigieg said.”
#CripTheVote
The
#NewTeacherChallenge
has parents recording their child’s reaction upon being shown a picture of their “new”, disabled teacher.
As a disabled educator, I’m heartbroken.
Our children can learn to hate & fear. Or they can learn to love & embrace.
ABC/Ipsos has a new poll conducted before Biden dropped out.
The only candidate or name being mentioned with a net-positive image rating: Pete Buttigieg.
(And nobody knows who Beshear, Pritzker or Shapiro are yet.)
#PeteButtigiegCalledMe
in 2013 after a bad arm injury. I was one of 20+ interns in the Mayor’s Office.
He called again last month, less than 12 hours after I broke my leg. This time I’m one of his 500+ campaign staff.
This man’s character & compassion are unshakable.
Don’t say
@AdyBarkan
’a video was inspirational.
Say it made you happy to see the love he has for his child.
Say it made you fired up for a better America.
Say it convinced you of the necessity of equitable healthcare access.
But don’t say he inspired you
Bringing in $$$ AND:
✔️Visiting LGBTQ Centers
✔️Facilitating education roundtables with local teachers
✔️Meeting with youth activists
✔️Canvassing for down-ballot candidates
✔️Giving this country
#hope
Chasten and I are beyond thankful for all the kind wishes since first sharing the news that we’re becoming parents. We are delighted to welcome Penelope Rose and Joseph August Buttigieg to our family.
well someone just audibly “awwww”-ed at me in public as if they had seen a newborn baby or a teacup pig so that’s how my Disabled day is going.
brb, continuing my work day at the White House 🔥
My first 6 weeks with
@Chas10Buttigieg
brought us to 11 states, 1,000s of supporters, and at least one or two drive-thrus 😉
With 191 days until the
#IowaCaucus
, we’ve only just begun. Where can we look forward to meeting you?
Mayor Pete’s Disability Policy would:
✔️Make inclusive ed an expectation
✔️End the subminimum wage
✔️Prevent parents from losing custody because of their diagnosis
✔️Develop an Accessible Tech BORs
✔️Encourage universal design in disaster preparadeness
Our country is stronger when we draw on the talents and capacity of every American. As president, I will work with advocates to create a new era of inclusion and belonging for people with disabilities.
To everyone who's come before, you've moved the needle in innumerable, thankless ways.
To my fellow disableds, get some sleep. The next 30 years start tomorrow. We have work to do.
12/
“Imagine if in a single year (that many) people had their legs broken by an airline as a result of flying. The effect is the same.”
I've drawn similar parallels before. I'm inevitably met with accusations of hyperbole.
A damaged wheelchair isn't just an inconvenience – it’s a complete loss of mobility.
I wrote the first law requiring airlines to disclose the number of lost or broken wheelchairs & bags to help ensure *every* traveler is treated with dignity and respect.
Falling asleep to echos of “They’re Coming for You”.
She’s right — they’re coming for me. My asthmatic lungs and my fragile bones.
If “You” doesn’t cut it, vote for Us.
Kamala Harris should ignore geography, voting blocs and identity politics and look for the best vice presidential candidate, period. It's Pete Buttigieg.
If you have a question about me or my disability that is rooted in humility, decency, and genuine curiosity: ASK!
We can all stand to assume less about one another & instead learn more.
In my early 20s, I scooted down a metro escalator to avoid missing a train bound for family & Thanksgiving. A stranger carried my chair. Why? Because the station elevator was out of service.
Disabled Americans deserve the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.
Coming to you live from CHRISTMAS QUARANTINE! After 21 months, COVID caught up to me.
No shame here. Just relief that symptoms are mild & that science has me vaxxed + boosted.
If the holidays don’t feel all that jolly, know that you’re not alone ♥️ Take care of yourselves!
Today, the
@VP
sat down with Disabled voters who are:
•Deaf
•Have limb differences
•Blind
•Short of stature
•Wheelchair users
•Aging
•Navigating mental health
Disability is not a monolith. These diagnoses are far from exhaustive, but it’s a damn good start.
Tonight, the sun sets on an era! After 40 years in
@CityofSouthBend
elected office, my dad sits for his final council meeting. You’d be hard pressed to find a guy more committed to this city, its history, and its citizens.
I lived in DC for a time in college. In the course of a day, I used FOURTEEN elevators. Most of which were part of public trans.
If any one of those elevators was experiencing unexpected outage or maintenance, my day was turned upside down.
Transportation must be accessible.
Never doubt the seismic impact of this candidacy. Nor the message sent if we fail to recognize, to name, its historic nature.
Working for our future First Gentleman as he blazes once unimaginable trails has been the privilege of a lifetime.
During
#MayorPete
’s rollout of his National Service Plan, he made reference to Isaiah 6:8 which says, “Here I am. Send me”.
Those same words were tapped to my bathroom wall during my 2 years of
@AmeriCorps
service in Coastal Mississippi.
My full circle heart is so full.
I bring the hand sanitizer & briefings. He brings the constant joy & directions to the nearest Culver’s.
Thanks for making it tough to have a bad day, even on the tough days!
#ChastenAppreciationDay
*wheels out of comfort zone*
Humbled by the chance to elevate
@PeteButtigieg
& his thoughtful disability plan.
Policy aside, I can tell you unequivocally that this man CARES. A Buttigieg Admin. would never make me, make us, feel less than.
#cripthevote
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a reminder to ensure that our health care system is ready and able to provide for Americans of all abilities:
As we approach another
#DemDebate
, a reminder to all candidates up & down the ballot:
You know someone with a disability. We're not them or "those people".
We're people with cancer, spinal cord injuries, Crohn's, Alzheimer's, anxiety, visual impairments, PTSD, & heart disease.
What that tells Us is:
Women are welcome; but not Disabled women.
POC are welcome; but not Disabled POC.
Immigrants are welcome; but not Disabled immigrants.
LGBTQ people are welcome; but not Disabled LGBTQ people.
Before there was candidate Pete or Secretary Pete, there was
#MayorPete
.
Mayor Pete returned to his Rust Belt hometown, a "Dying City" (c. 2011), and gave us hope. His compassion, empathy, and conviction ensured our renaissance was both data-driven AND people-driven.
In the alley outside the event I saw
@Chas10Buttigieg
pushing a woman in a wheel chair up a steep hill. “Friends don’t let friends roll up the hill alone,” he said.
3 of my favorite things -
@USPS
, nonfiction, &
@Chasten
.
honored to have been a very small part of your knock ‘em dead journey, friend. you can find me reading!
y’all, it hasn’t been your girl’s month. bones have chosen to revolt & serve me up a fresh fracture. I’ve gone months (even years!) w/o injury, so this feels like a particularly rough patch.
BUT! healing up. & channeling
@cvoorde
: “you’ve never not gotten through it.”
NEW:
@PeteButtigieg
is now a fellow at the University of
@NotreDame
Institute for Advanced Study.
Buttigieg will work on 2 research projects: one exploring how to restore trust in political institutions, and another about the "forces" shaping the 2020s.
BREAKING: it’s just been announced that the
@VP
will meet with Disabled Voters tomorrow at 11:45 EDT. The roundtable will feature folks with varied diagnoses, both visible & invisible, & stories of disenfranchisement.
#DisabilityPrideMonth
#CripTheVote
I know farming policy isn't super sexy, but it's a reality for millions. &
@PeteButtigieg
could have talked about it for the entire 2-hour TV block.
#demdebate
Here's the facts: Black residents of SB were less likely to be arrested for marijuana charges than residents of the state of Indiana and Blk residents in SB were less likely to be arrested for drug possession than Blk residents of Indiana or the U.S. in Pete's 2nd term
#DemDebate
Nearly a year on the trail & Chasten’s interactions with Americans across the country still gave me goosebumps.
If you’re like me — hungry for hope, belonging, & a voice that feels like home — pre-order a copy. You’re not going to want to miss this
I am so excited to finally share with you what I’ve been working so hard on for the last year (as well as, you know, helping Peter run for president!) I wrote a book! My memoir, I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU, is coming out on September 1st! Pre-order now!
I don't share this journey because I'm proud. In fact, I'm deeply ashamed that the road to this place was so long.
I share because radical self-love and authentic existence are revolutionary. They're our strongest defense and our most counter-cultural act of rebellion.
11/
200+ St. Pete supporters turning to tell one another why they’re on
#TeamPete
(including
@Kriseman
☺️)
“For a along time I’ve been voting against candidates. This time I’m looking forward to voting for someone.”
"It's almost as though, if you chair is not functional when you arrive because it was damaged by a carrier, it's almost like part of you arrived and part of you didn't.
And the airlines have a clear responsibility on that."
@SecretaryPete
Thrilled to have joined
@AliStroker
and
@WhiteHouseOPE46
's Emily Voorde this week to talk about the ADA's anniversary and the work ahead to ensure an accessible transportation system for all.
I’m a qualified woman that also happens to be in a wheelchair. There are TONS of folks with visible and invisible conditions. Unfortunately, others’ biases are sometimes more limiting than our own bodies. Proud to work for a candidate that leverages my perspective.
“
@PeteButtigieg
kept his promise [to people with disabilities] by hiring
@shortyvoorde
, a wheelchair-user, to work for his campaign. This occurred only days after sending a video message using American Sign Language to
@pleasantandy
.”