San Francisco Chronicle

May 9, 2010

Yomi Wrong picks up disability-rights fight

Yomi Wrong, new head of the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley.

Yomi Wrong is doing something right. Wrong, 38, recently took over the helm at Berkeley's Center for Independent Living, the birthplace of the disability rights movement, on the eve of its move from a former car dealership on Telegraph Avenue to the swank Ed Roberts Campus across town. A former reporter at the San Jose Mercury News, Wrong has a congenital condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, and uses a wheelchair. She spoke recently to Chronicle reporter Carolyn Jones.

Q: What's the most pressing issue in the disability rights movement these days?

A: State and county budget cuts. People with disabilities and seniors are disproportionately hit the hardest, particularly because of dramatic cuts expected to In Home Support Services, which allows thousands of disabled people to live independently instead of in institutions. Everyone's very concerned about this. I know we're trying to balance a budget, but it shouldn't happen on the backs of the people who can least afford it.

Q: When does the Center for Independent Living move to the Ed Roberts Campus?

A: September, hopefully. It will be wonderful to be in a state-of-the-art, universally designed building. We'll be surrounded by other disability rights organizations, some of which began as CIL programs, and we hope there'll be a lot of collaboration and natural synergy.

Q: What has CIL meant for you personally?

A: I realized very early in life that I've absolutely benefited from the disability rights struggle. The Americans with Disabilities Act passed when I was 18, and suddenly all kinds of doors opened for me. The ones that weren't open I was able to push, to gain access to education, a career and the means to live independently. Somehow I wanted to give back. There's so much work yet to be done.

This article appeared on page C - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle