Tony Phillips
Tony worked with the Harvard Project on Disability (HPOD) and Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) on a participatory research project. Working with Diana Mairose, Tony sought to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes during the pandemic.
Report
This research was created by Diana Mairose and Tony Philips, two self-advocates with intellectual disabilities who wanted to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is little research or literature on people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes, and even less research conducted by researchers with intellectual disabilities. The researchers chose to interview and connect with this group because they believe their stories and experiences deserve to be heard. The researchers also believe that persons in group homes may have experienced greater social isolation or greater barriers to accessing the community during the COVID-19 pandemic than persons with intellectual disabilities either on their own or with family members. At the core, the research seeks to ensure that the voices of people with intellectual disabilities in group homes are heard. The research was supported by Anne Fracht and Hezzy Smith from the Harvard Project on Disability.
Read Tony’s blog: The COVID-19 Pandemic Put My Life in the Community at Risk & How I’m Fighting for My Rights.
Bio
Tony Phillips (he/him) is the current president of the Self-Advocacy Association Board of Directors, elected by his peers and representing people with I/DD (Intellectual Developmental Disabilities) in self-advocacy groups across New York State. He is also an activist with the National Action Network, based in Harlem. Tony currently works for OPWDD (Office for People with Developmental Disabilities), lives in his own apartment, and has done work as a Gospel Music concert promoter.
Keywords
Disability rights, Covid-19, Social Isolation, Social Connectedness, Relationships, Self-advocacy, Group Homes