Our good friends at the hit band Portugal. The Man’s PTM Foundation have created a dope, super-fresh T-shirt to honor the 30th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. All proceeds from the ADA T-shirt will benefit New Mobility’s parent organization, United Spinal Association.
Portugal. The Man’s guitarist, Eric Howk, a wheelchair user with paraplegia, was inspired to do something in support of disability rights and the ADA by the film Crip Camp. “I was really fired up about the idea of a disability revolution. I know that it was an incredibly hard-fought battle to get recognized and to get our voices heard. But it’s something that I obviously take for granted,” he says. “At the end of the day, we can either write songs or sell merchandise. We’re just dudes in a band. I can speak on camera, but just having the shirt and being able to wear that shirt and have it be a conversation starter is going to be a great thing.”
Howk told NM editor Ian Ruder that he chose United Spinal as PTM’s beneficiary “because I think you do such a good job within the spinal cord injury community, and you look at it from a 360 degree angle. I couldn’t think of anyone else that could get anything done that just really was looking out for people like us.”
The PTM Foundation focuses on building community resilience, empathy, and awareness through music, stories, art, education and connectivity. It aims to convene and organize partnerships and projects informed by community need, and then mobilize Portugal. The Man’s listeners and supporters around that shared vision.
Its work is centered on human rights issues, including community health and the environment. A special focus is placed on highlighting the stories of indigenous peoples, as well as other marginalized populations.
Watch Eric Howk’s passionate ADA anniversary message:
** This post was originally published on https://www.newmobility.com/2020/07/ada-the-t-shirt-by-portugal-the-man/
