Connections for Community Leadership Proud and Powerful 780 West Lake Lansing Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (866) 532-2669 (toll-free) * Fax: (517) 333-2677 E-mail: leadership@prosynergy.org * Website: www.copower.org/leader/index.htm 780 West Lake Lansing Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (866) 532-2669 (toll-free) * Fax: (517) 333-2677 E-mail: leadership@prosynergy.org * Website: www.copower.org/leader/index.htm Connections for Community Leadership Leadership Database People with disabilities often lack the feeling of being proud and powerful. Connections for Community Leaders has launched a campaign to help people with disabilities empower themselves, gain self-acceptance, and realize the power they can have in their own lives and in their communities. We are committed to integrated Proud and Powerful messages into all aspects of our program. Join a community of people with disabilities sharing their pride and power at http://www.copower.org/leader/pandp.htm. CCL defines Proud and Powerful as having two components: Self-Empowerment Knowing and feeling one’s pride and applying our unique voice, skills, and actions with energy and confidence to achieve a vision (of full citizenship in all places: personal relationships, home, school, work, community, institutions, etc.). Includes the commitment to provide personal and institutional support for people with disabilities who are seeking to claim their full and rightful place, power, and pride. Knowing, practicing, and using the skills to make changes. Is expressed when disability communities protest discrimination and celebrate disability culture, heritage, and history. Disability Pride Accepting and honoring our uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. Pride comes from celebrating our own heritage, culture, unique experiences and contributions. Disability Pride recognizes the power we have to make change. Disability Pride results when we challenge and ultimately undo the negative beliefs, attitudes, and feelings and systematic oppression that come from the dominate groups’ thinking that there is something wrong with our identify or our disabilities. Disability Pride rejects shame and the need to “blend in” Disability Pride is self acceptance and validation of our uniqueness. Disability Pride results in making choices based on the respect for interdependence, accommodations, and creativity. Disability Pride is the feeling of strong connection with a community of other people. Disability Pride recognizes that it is our uniqueness that will transform all people and institutions (society). We Lead Curriculum CONNECT Cookie Gant Fund Leadership Model Support & TA What we offer... Informed Communities