Germán

46 Germán

I met Germán in ADAPT a direct action, non-violent civil disobedience group. I organized the ADAPT group in Boulder Colorado and Germán in Philadelphia. This is a photo of Germán at a demonstration in Denver in 2018.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Germán has been an active community organizer with Philadelphia ADAPT, is a leader in direct action, and is the first person with a significant spinal cord injury to deploy to a disaster-impacted area.

With Portlight and the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, he deployed to Puerto Rico shortly after Hurricane Maria. German has a key voice in the work of the Partnership shaping language and content for two legislative projects- the Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion in Disasters Act (REAADI) and the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRM).

Most recently, Germán was elected as the Regional Focal Point for the Americas for the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Stakeholder Group of Persons With Disabilities.

Germán acquired his spinal cord injury in 2001, being a victim of a carjacking, nearly two weeks after turning 17 years old. Germán, and his grandmother who raised him, moved to Philadelphia in 2004 where long-time disability rights activists with Philly ADAPT and Liberty Resources Center for Independent Living took him in and nurtured him in the grassroots disability rights and independent living movement.

Germán's thirst for knowledge also pushed him to pursue degrees in behavioral studies and political sciences. For nearly 15 years now, Germán has devoted his life so that all persons with disabilities have the services, supports, and access to choose how and where to live. Germán is a community organizer, disability rights activist, systems advocate, and a leader in the disability rights movement. He is also the Board President of Disabled In Action of PA, Board Member of Liberty Community Connections, and Board Secretary of Trach Mommas of Louisiana.

Germán is also very active in global disability inclusive disaster risk reduction, humanitarian relief and whole community resilience initiatives. Germán holds an advocacy title with the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction office as Focal Point for Persons with Disabilities in the Americas - advocating for full inclusion of persons with disabilities throughout all phases of disaster and emergency operations, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities through the integrating of the Sendai Framework.

ADAPT Collection: https://www.flickr.com/photos/timmwheat/collections/72157673747843191/

German leads and ADAPT protest

Germán leads an ADAPT protest.

Photo by Tim Wheat.

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