Billion Strong Seeks Global Support Through Crowdfunding Effort

Rockville, Virginia (August 10, 2021) – Global Nonprofit Organization Billion Strong launches crowdfunding campaign to help create an internal movement for people with disabilities (PwDs) around the world.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 1.3 billion PwDs around the world. And while creating a global community of 1.3 billion people might seem like a lofty goal, Billion Strong, a global nonprofit organization for and by PwDs, only continues to increase its passion and momentum. This week, Billion Strong launched its crowdfunding campaign on Mightycause, an online donation and fundraising platform that’s tailored for nonprofit communities. The funds will go towards Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Billion Strong and set the groundwork for connecting PwDs all around the world.

“The goal of Billion Strong,” says Dr. LaMondre Pough, the CEO of Billion Strong, “is to help PwDs find their own empowerment and move forward. We want to make it sustainable by creating a loop of identity, education, professional development, and economic empowerment. And we want to honor and recognize all of the intersectionalities that exist within our beautiful community.” He also acknowledges that building a global organization is a massive undertaking and will require global support. “We encourage people to join the movement. If you have a disability, love someone with a disability, or are an ally or an accomplice, join the movement by going to www.billion-strong.org.”

Billion Strong Executive Chair Debra Ruh, who is also CEO of Ruh Global IMPACT and well known around the world as a disability rights’ advocate, is handling all partnerships for the nonprofit. “We want representatives in every single country and every single state. Currently, we have advisors/partners in Algeria, Amsterdam, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Germany, Ghana, Holland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Oman, Panama, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Sierra Leona, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE, USA, Vietnam, Wales, and Yemen. In addition, several UN agencies are supporting our efforts.”

Donations will help support the development of a global ecosystem where PwDs voices will be heard and valued, a marketplace with inclusive e-commerce technology, R&D, education and resources, a shared economy model, support for entrepreneurs with disabilities and social entrepreneurs without disabilities, technology development, and making the community discoverable by corporations who want to include PwDs as employees, customers, and vendors.

To donate to the Billion Strong crowdfunding campaign, visit their organization page on Mightycause (www.mightycause.com/organization/Billion-Strong). For more information about Billion Strong and how you can get involved, visit the website (www.billion-strong.org).

Note: Billion Strong Corp is in process for IRS tax exemption as a 501(c)(3) public charity. During this pending approval period, your donation IS NOT tax-deductible. The application process can take 6 to 9 months or more to process and is not in our control. Upon approval, donations are deductible retroactively up to 27 months to our formation date of April 01, 2021.

About Billion Strong

Billion Strong is an identity and empowerment organization designed to bring the billions of voices of persons with disabilities together. It is a global community of persons with lived experiences of disabilities that also celebrates its allies and accomplices. Billion Strong will embrace and support the global community, which includes entrepreneurs with disabilities and other diverse groups, with professional development, training, mentoring, coaching, education, and programs to assure that employers know how to find qualified candidates with disabilities all over the world.

Source: Billion Strong

Changing The Narrative With An Identity Movement

Soni Thompson talks about the importance of identity and why Billion Strong is focused on creating an identity movement.

I had a recent conversation with Debra Ruh, the Chairwoman of Billion Strong, and we were talking about this path that we’re all walking called LIFE. At a very young age, we develop our beliefs. We learn them through our experiences and education – that is, the things we were told from the people closest to us, like our parents and teachers. Those messages that we received when we were growing up helped define who we are, how we see ourselves, and how we view and interact with the world around us.

Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the messages that people with disabilities and people at the intersection of other marginalized groups typically receive at a very early age:

“You can’t do that.”

“You’re not like other people.”

“The world is unfair.”

“Some people will make fun of you.”

“You won’t have the same opportunities as other people.”

“You will have to overcome a lot of discrimination.”

“I wish you were [fill in the blank – normal/heterosexual/white] so that this life wasn’t as hard for you.”

As a parent myself, I understand the sentiment behind some of those messages. In fact, most of them seem to come from a place of love and protection. We want the best for our children, and we want them to be prepared for potential hardships, even though we would prefer that they didn’t have to struggle.

My mom, who is one of my biggest advocates and a super positive person overall, once told me that I would likely have a lot of obstacles to overcome because of my sexuality, and she wished only happiness for me in this life. I knew what she meant, and she said it because she loves and cares about me. I also knew that she would support me no matter what.

My dad wasn’t as supportive. When I was 17, a counselor asked him if he could just love me for who I am, regardless of my sexuality, because I’m his daughter. After a very long (and uncomfortable) silence, he said that he didn’t know. I do think that he learned how to love me over the years, before he passed away, but that moment and those words were forever burned into my spirit.

When we internalize the messages that we receive, even when they come from a place of love and protection, they become our beliefs. And sometimes, when we get older, those beliefs no longer serve us – if they ever did at all. For example, how many people with mobility disabilities grew up thinking that they can’t physically do [fill in the blank]? How many people with cognitive disabilities grew up thinking that they’re not smart enough for [fill in the blank]? Am I broken? Limited? Capable? Worthy? Valuable? Loveable? Safe? Am I enough, just as I am?

Some people say that homosexuality is a choice. Sure, I could have pretended to be heterosexual and dated guys. At the very least, I would have looked mainstream or “normal” on the outside and not been judged because of my sexuality. But pretending to be someone I’m not and hiding away my true identity to avoid discrimination wouldn’t have made me happy. So, ultimately, yeah… I did have a choice. I chose happiness. And while it may not always be easy, I continue to choose happiness every day.

But some other minority groups, like people with visible disabilities and people of color, don’t have a choice. They are often stigmatized, excluded, exploited, and more vulnerable to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, which can result in developmental delays, behavior problems, and low self-esteem. Discrimination even happens within the different marginalized communities, like some gays and lesbians ostracize bisexuals, some people of color have negative feelings towards other people of color with a different pigment of skin, and some people with disabilities think they’re better than other people with different disabilities.

One of the primary reasons that we created Billion Strong is because we recognize the need of an identity movement for people with disabilities and people at the intersection of other underserved, undervalued, and overlooked groups. When you’ve grown up being told, feeling, and believing that you’re “less than,” how do you change that narrative?

This is what we want to accomplish around the world with Billion Strong – to come together, share our stories and lived experiences, and learn to let go of the beliefs that no longer serve us. We want to show the world, and ourselves, that we are complete, worthy, and important. No matter how we identify, or how many ways we identify, that doesn’t change our intrinsic value. We are strong individuals, but we are stronger together. Please join this identity movement by going to www.billion-strong.org.

Source: Billion Strong

At The Intersection Of Change

Soni Thompson, CMO for Billion Strong, talks about what intersectionality means to her and the importance of addressing it to facilitate real change.

When I’m driving in my car, and I arrive at an intersection, there’s a choice that I need to make. I can turn left, turn right, or go forward. The only guidelines that I have are the rules of the road. Is there a stop sign? One-way street? Detours because of construction?

Now, imagine that the intersection is inside you. This is your identity. Who you truly are. Every direction is you. There are still rules of the road, which we call cultural norms, societal pressures, and biases. If I go right, my back is turned on the “leftness” of me. If I go left, my back is turned on my “rightness.” And forward, the path that we’re encouraged to continually move towards, leaves pieces of me behind.

But what if we were able to safely stay at our internal intersections? What if we didn’t feel pressured to choose one path over the other? This is my leftness, this is my rightness, and my here and now also embraces where I’ve been and where I want to go. Imagine being recognized, valued, and celebrated for being unapologetically, authentically yourself, as intricate and complex as you may be!

That doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. But the stop signs, one-way streets, and detours because of road construction are not just on the streets. We face them every day, especially when aspects of our identity are marginalized, oppressed, and discriminated against. For example, I identify as a female, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and as a person with an invisible disability.

To be completely honest, I didn’t know very much about intersectionality before joining Billion Strong. I knew that as a white woman, I made less money than a white man for the same job, but I didn’t know that the salary decreased for LGBTQ+ women, and disabled LGBTQ+ women are paid less than that. The disability pay gap is even more glaring for people who also identify as part of an ethnic minority group.

I also knew that a large percentage of the LGBTQ+ community suffers from mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety, and are more prone to alcoholism, drug abuse, and other forms of addiction, because it’s so much easier to numb out judgment and discrimination than to sit with it and let it burn. But I didn’t know that the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ and disability has a harder time receiving healthcare (particularly transgender people), shelter, education, and community support.

My intersectionality isn’t unique, but I am a complete person, with all of the facets of me combining into a wonderful, whole being. However, recognizing and acknowledging the intersections of our identities is only the beginning. What we do now with this knowledge is what matters. When we talk about social equity, inclusivity, and accessibility, it’s not just for one community of people… it’s for everyone. Let’s have more discussions and bring this issue to light so that we can help finally facilitate the change that we wish to see in the world.

Source: Billion Strong