Chris Desborough is the Community Outreach Director for the city of Tucson and Director of Disability Pride Tucson. Disability Pride Day coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This United Nations initiative was created to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society. This annual event features disability resources, performers and other activities. Chris and Keith talk about the origins of Disability Pride Day Tucson and how the event has grown over the years. They talk about this year’s event which will be held Dec. 7. They also talk about the roles of a disability advocate. For more information on Disability Pride Day Tucson visit disabilitypridetucson.com.
BIO:
Chris is originally from London, England, Chris has called Tucson his home since March 2009 and has been very active statewide advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities.
He served 4.5 years on the Governor’s Council on Blindness and Visual Impairment deafblind issues sub-committee and successfully helped pass a state budget amendment that provided services for individuals with acute combined visual and hearing loss. He has also spoken at many conferences around the state on a variety of disability related subjects and issues and was the key note speaker at the 40th anniversary of the Arizona Comission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH.)
He is a passionate advocate of equal rights for individuals with disabilities within the work place and community and it was this passion that led him to create the City of Tucson’s first ever celebration of disability, Disability Pride Day which is establishing itself as an annual Tucson tradition.
Working for Council Member Paul Cunningham, City of Tucson Ward 2, Chris has a broad range of responsibilities within the office which include managing the speed hump program for the Ward, transportation, disability related issues including internal and external policy change, water and water related policy related matters and also manages the Ward 2 intern program.
A double graduate of Arizona State University, Chris holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work and was also a recipient of the Gabe Zimmermann scholarship for community service in 2017.
Away from Ward 2, you will find Chris active in the community serving on a couple of non-profit boards, spending time with family and friends, watching movies and enjoying travel both domestically and internationally. He is also a life long fan of the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and the English soccer clubs, Watford and Arsenal.
Disability Empowerment Now is produced by Pascal Albright
Season 4 is dedicated to Christina Trivigno, Disability Advocate and Friend.
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