Grant funds to support local BIPOC children with disabilities

Intersection Collective has received $250,000 from NewSchools Venture Fund and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation to support the Special Education Community Advocacy Network, which advocate for educational equality for children.

This funding will specifically go toward Intersection Collective’s mission to work with BIPOC disability communities and equity allies to close education and opportunity gaps. To do so, the organization will partner with Cincinnati Public Schools to introduce a culturally responsive, family-centered special education advocacy training program. This program will combine community organizing support and create school-based “village networks.”

“The disability community is incredibly diverse, and solving issues of inequality that affect people at the intersection of race and disability requires a multicultural and culturally inclusive approach,” said Erika Watson, IC’s founder and CEO.

Nationally, about 13% of K-12 students, or 7.3 million children, have identified disabilities. Watson said those numbers are even greater in the Greater Cincinnati region.

Intersection Collective noted that the system often misdiagnoses children of color, especially Black and Indigenous children, as having learning or intellectual disabilities. After identification, schools frequently place these students in restrictive educational settings, which can lead to poorer outcomes in education and postsecondary employment, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Research shows that families who are more involved can help reduce the inequities faced by BIPOC children with disabilities.

“These grants from national and local organizations send a strong message: progress will be made by working with families, amplifying their voices, learning from their experiences, and valuing the lives of children and families at the intersection of race and disability,” Watson said.