New Disabled South Rising is the political organizing and lobbying arm of disability advocacy organization New Disabled South. Both organizations were founded by former staff members of Democratic politician Stacey Abrams’ 2022 campaign for the governor of Georgia. ¹

According to its donation page, as of 2024, it claimed to be “building progressive political power for disabled people across 14 southern states.” ²

Background

New Disabled South Rising is the advocacy arm of New Disabled South, a disability advocacy organization that focuses on research, education, and advocacy at the state and local levels across 14 southern states in the United States. ^{3 4} It was founded by Dom Kelly and Kehsi Iman Wilson, former staff members of Democratic politician Stacey Abrams’ 2022 campaign for the governor of Georgia. ¹

According to co-founder Dom Kelly, New Disabled South and New Disabled South Rising are two separate entities from a legal perspective but act as one organization with the same goals. New Disabled South Rising provides the ability to do unlimited lobbying and some electoral organizing. ⁵

The New Disabled South Rising donation page, managed by left-of-center fundraising platform ActBlue Civics, indicates it is “building progressive political power for disabled people across 14 southern states.” ²

Priorities and Work Areas

New Disabled South Rising claims to focus on policy advocacy in three “priority policy buckets” of poverty, criminalization, and democracy. ⁴

New Disabled South Rising advocates for Medicaid expansion, raising the pay of home-care providers, and expanding government funding for home and community-based services for those with disabilities. ⁶

New Disabled South Rising has advocated against the construction of a police training facility within the Atlanta metropolitan area, commonly dubbed by its critics “Cop City,” publishing a statement claiming that “Cop City” would “further militarize police and poses a threat to the disabled community in our state, region, and entire nation. ^{1 7}

In July 2024, the group posted on its X (formerly Twitter) page a message advocating for disabled people to vote and “defeat Trump this November.” ⁸ In addition, the group published on its website a 2024 electoral calendar and a state specific voting checklist for the 14 U.S. states it covers. ^{9 10}

Starting in 2024 New Disability South Rising offers a fellowship program called “SPARC: Southern Policymakers Advancing Representative Community” for elected officials in the southern United States to learn about “disability justice and inclusion.” ^{11 12}

In 2024, New Disabled South Rising launched the Disabled Voters Rising: Political Education and Training Series, a series of webinars and panel discussions on topics including voter suppression and the laws “restricting voting access,” worker mobilization, hostile disability policies such as surveillance and institutionalization, and the “criminalization of disability.” ¹³

On October 16 2023, following the Hamas terrorist attacks against the State of Israel, the group’s Instagram profile posted a message reacting to Israel’s military response to the attacks and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The post stated the organization, “remain[s] in solidarity with Palestine and we remember that the liberation of all oppressed peoples is inextricably tied together.” ¹⁴

Funding

Accountable Justice Action Fund (AJAF) granted New Disabled South Rising $75,000 to support left-of-center criminal justice policies. AJAF also donated to other left-of-center organizations including Working Families Organization, Tides Advocacy, and Working Families Party. ¹⁵

In 2023, George Soros’ Open Society Foundations donated a $200,000 grant to New Disabled South to “support policy advocacy on disability justice.” ¹⁶

Leadership

Dom Kelly is co-founder and president and CEO of New Disabled South Rising and New Disabled South. He was born with cerebral palsy. He earned a master’s in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2021 he was a New Leaders Council fellow. He also had senior positions at Fair Fight Action before joining the campaign team for Stacey Abrams for governor of Georgia. He founded New Disabled South in November 2022 and New Disabled South Rising in February 2023. In January 2024 he also became a Rockwood Leadership Institute fellow. ¹⁷

Kehsi Iman Wilson is co-founder and chief operating officer of New Disabled South and New Disabled South Rising. She identifies as disabled due to depression and chronic fatigue. ¹⁸ She earned a master’s in education from the University of South Florida and spent several years in the education system. In 2020 she worked as HR and communications director for the Groundswell Fund. She then joined the campaign team for Stacey Abrams for governor of Georgia as its human resources director. ¹⁹

E.K Hoffman is the New Disabled South Rising’s executive director. Hoffman is also a senior policy advisor for New Disabled South. Hoffman identifies as disabled due to several mental health issues. ²⁰ Hoffman graduated from the University of South Carolina with a major in political science and women and gender studies. Before joining New Disabled South, Hoffman had positions in several organizations associated with left-of-center disabled or LGBT interests including Able South Carolina and Gender Benders. ^{21 22}

1. Donovan J. Thomas. “The South has a new disability rights group with Georgia roots.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. April 18, 2023. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.ajc.com/news/the-south-has-a-new-disability-rights-group-with-georgia-roots/2BOYZQYLXZH3PN3PILG3LC74OA/
2. “Donate to New Disabled South Rising.” New Disabled South Rising. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/new-disabled-south-rising-1
3. New Disabled South homepage. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouth.org/
4. New Disabled South Rising homepage. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/
5. Larissa Martin. “Disability Advocate Taking the South by Storm with New Nonprofit.” The Mighty. October 10, 2023. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://themighty.com/topic/disability/advocate-dominic-kelly-new-disabled-south/
6.  Andrew Pulrang. “A Disability Advocacy Startup Strives To Model Its Own Mission.” Forbes. February 20, 2023. Updated March 13, 2023. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2023/02/20/a-disability-advocacy-startup-strives-to-model-its-own-mission/
7. “New Disabled South Rising – Statement of Cop City.” New Disabled South Rising. March 28, 2023. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/news/copcitystatement
8. X – New Disabled South Rising. Posted July 21, 2024. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://x.com/DisSouthRising.
9. “2024 Southern Electoral Calendar.” New Disabled South Rising. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/2024-electoral-calendar
10. “Voting in the South 2024: State by State.” New Disabled South Rising. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/voting-in-the-south-2024
11. “2024 SPARC Fellowship.” New Disabled South Rising. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/sparc-fellowship
12. New Disabled South 2023 Impact Report. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HIi1lhclebxDNJhxxfr6RM4IWHNNlReT/view
13. Disabled Voters Rising: Political Education and Training Series.” New Disabled South Rising. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/trainingseries
14. ^[1] Instagram – New Disabled South Rising. Posted October 16, 2023. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CyeU7SxOxhK/
15. Accountable Justice Action Fund. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Schedule I.) 2023.
16. “New Disabled South Rising.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants. Accessed October 11, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=new+disabled+south&grant_id=OR2023-91653
17. LinkedIn – Dom Kelly. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-edward-kelly/details/experience/
18. “Disability activists fight for equality in the South.” Delaware Public Media. March 27, 2023. Accessed October 11, 2024. https://www.delawarepublic.org/2023-03-27/disability-activists-fight-for-equality-in-the-south
19. LinkedIn – Kehsi Iman Wilson. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kehsiiman/details/experience/
20. Halie Binstock. “Disability Pride Month Q&A with New Disabled South Rising!” ActBlue Blog. July 11, 2023. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://blog.actblue.com/2023/07/11/disability-pride-month-qa-with-new-disabled-south-rising/
21. LinkedIn – E.K. Hoffman. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-k-hoffman/
22. “Our Team.” New Disabled South Rising. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org/team