“You cannot be responsible for your own family without being responsible for the society and the environment in which they liv

“You cannot be responsible for your own family without being responsible for the society and the environment in which they live.”

--Justin Dart, disability rights leader, 1930-2002

A statement by Yoshiko Dart

To all who love justice
on the first anniversary of Justin Dart's passing
On June 22, 2003

"I am with you always. I love you. Lead on. Lead on."
Justin Dart, Jr.

Dear Colleagues in justice, we love you!

It has been a year since Justin completed his mission on this earth and joined the universe. Justin loved you and will continue to love you.

Thank you so much for the tremendous outpouring of love, support and leadership you have shown.

We congratulate all the patriots who have worked so hard to defend democracy. We need you now more than ever.

Democracy is under attack. Although democracy has seen an explosion of positive change unequaled in the history of humanity, it is broken, weak and fragile.

We who love democracy must mobilize to save it. What can we do? How and when should we do it?

Can you hear him? Listen to Justin. He is crying ever louder to all of us for solidarity to create and lead a revolution of individualized empowerment. We would like to quote a section out of his last book, "With Liberty and Justice for All." He wrote Ten Ways You Can Make the Dream Live on pages 17 and 18:

Give up life as usual - escapist television and games; time-consuming, expensive travel and recreation; and devote the time to passionate advocacy for individualized empowerment.

Give up politically and socially correct conversation and become a single-minded, repetitious communicator of the message of individualized empowerment - so that when people see you across the street, your message will register in their minds even though you say nothing.

Speak to people with words of love, giving them sincere, loving praise for the distinctive positives that everybody has. They will be glad to see you coming and be far more likely to internalize your message of empowerment.

Recruit your family members and friends first. People from age one to a hundred can be good advocates. Severely disabled people living in nursing homes can be good advocates. Small babies and dogs can carry good buttons and signs with great effect.

The vital election campaigns of 2004 are fully underway. Become a politician, promoting your agenda everyday through every political process. Volunteer and contribute money to the campaigns of good politicians. You will have ten times more influence than if you simply ask them for favors. Get into politics as if your life depended on it - because it does - and the lives of your children's children.

Become a media person - write letters to the editors, participate in radio and TV talk shows, become friends with media employees and business and political staff. Become a media professional.

Use the electronic technology to send out brief talking points on the issues - make sure they are 100% accurate. Most political advocacy is obvious hyperbole. It goes directly into the wastebasket.

Be an aggressive participant in your local and national advocacy organizations - from AAPD, LCCR, CCD, NCIL, ADAPT, DREDF, People First, psychiatric survivors and People for the American Way to your local independent living center, disability and civil rights coalitions. If you support them, they will support your advocacy for individualized empowerment.

If there is no cross disability action group in your area, form one. Thirteen penniless people started the Christian revolution, and the same number started the modern Chinese revolution.

When necessary, send your messages of love and truth with militant action. You will be surprised how a small demonstration at a political, media or business office can change attitudes.

Thanks to you, Justin died in the beautiful belief that "the revolution of empowerment will go on." You are leading it today and you will lead it tomorrow and will never, never, never give up. Justin would be so proud of you.

Together, but only together united in love and truth, we shall free our people and we shall overcome.

Colleagues, we love you.

Lead on. Lead on.

Yoshiko and the Family "You have the power. Live the Dream."

Justin Dart conveyed in a speech to colleagues in both London and Dublin:

"Living with a disability is kind of like driving around in an old '62 Chevy Bel Air, with the Powerglide transmission ... and no reverse. It's not all that different. It's just that, sometimes, you have to think about it."