Take Action
Help us fight for the rights of individuals with disabilities to exercise! Join Forrest Stump, a 501(c)(3) disability rights nonprofit, in its national advocacy campaign #WeJustFeltLikeRunning. We are asking Congress to commit to eliminating the barriers to equal participation in athletics and ensuring affordable access to adaptive sports equipment (e.g. running blades, sports wheelchairs, high activity orthoses).
Complete as many action steps on the list as you can between the 30th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and race day, October 3rd. Share the link to this campaign so that other people can join in too.
ACTION ITEM #1
Sign our petition to Congress to commit to eliminating the barriers that deny Americans with disabilities the right to equally participate in athletics. It only takes a minute.
Share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.
SIGN THE PETITIONACTION ITEM #2
Help us deliver our signed petition to the doorsteps of Congress in a really unique way: a virtual race across America on October 3rd.
Purchase a ticket and pledge any kind of miles: running, walking, biking, hand cycling, push rim, swimming, paddling, skating, hiking, you name it!
REGISTER TO RACEACTION ITEM #3
After registering for our virtual race (ACTION ITEM #2), get access to your Virtual Race Day Packet. Print out your race bib, join our Strava club, and learn how you can raise awareness on race day!
VIRTUAL RACE DAY PACKETACTION ITEM #4
Upload your race day photos and videos to our Dropbox. We will be putting these photos together in a video compilation to Congress!
UPLOAD YOUR PHOTOSACTION ITEM #5
Forrest Stump’s advocacy team has amputations, visual impairments, spinal cord injuries, and neuromuscular disorders. What we all have in common is the need and desire to be physically active, but what we often face are unnecessary barriers. Here are our stories.
READ OUR STORIESACTION ITEM #6
Watch our award-winning film 1500 MILES. 1500 MILES shares the triumphant journey of athlete, activist, and amputee Nicole Ver Kuilen as she swims, bikes, and runs down the Pacific Coast to call for a higher standard of medical care for amputees like her.
WATCH OUR FILMACTION ITEM #7
Donate directly to Forrest Stump to help us fight for the rights of the disability community through our advocacy and campaign work. Together we can deliver systemic change that will impact millions of individuals for generations to come!
DONATE TO FORREST STUMPACTION ITEM #8
Ask your Senators to co-sponsor S.4343 Access to Assistive Technology and Devices for Americans Study Act.
This bill is being led by the Amputee Coalition of America and would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to gather data about care and access to assistive technologies (prosthetic care, custom orthoses, and others) to help identify: barriers, gaps, and disparities in access between populations. This study would be a critical first step in informing future policies related to access to exercise. Their template makes it easy and should only take 2 min of your time!
WRITE YOUR SENATORSACTION ITEM #9
Add the link to this site to your social media bios so that other people can find it and participate too!
COPY THE LINKACTION ITEM #10
Visit our website to learn more and subscribe to our newsletter.
VISIT OUR WEBSITEThank you to Forrest Stump’s tireless team of advocates and board members for their work on this campaign.
Al Avram, Jamie Brown, Mary Kate Callahan, Katie Donnewald, Ashley Eisenmenger, Adriel Fernandez, Lina Garada, Jan Harley, Natalie Harold, Mohamed Lahna, Grace Mastalli, Dee Palagi, Patrick Pressgrove, Nick Roumonada, Dan Soar, Mallorie Starkenburg, Heidi Strickler, Kylie Ver Kuilen, Nicole Ver Kuilen, and Ashlie White.