Joy A. Shabazz Center for Disability Rights - Greensboro, NC

Location: Greensboro, NC.

Joy A. Shabazz Center was established October 1992 by Aaron and Joy Shabazz. A few months later the late James H. Wells joined the team as President of the Board of Directors. All three were persons with significant lifelong disabilities. Together they sought to develop programs to help persons with disabilities to achieve and maximize independence.

The Center was incorporated as the Guildford Advocacy Project for the Handicapped, but was known as the Advocacy Project for Persons with Disabilities. In 2001, upon the passing of Joy A. Shabazz, the Center was renamed in her honor.

The Center is consumer controlled. At least 51% of the staff and Board of Directors are persons with significant disabilities.

We adhere to the Independent living philosophy, fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities to live their lives independently, empowering persons with disabilities to establish and pursue lifelong goals and objectives, and ensuring that the disability community have the same equal access to all facets of society as persons without disabilities.

The Center works to maintain Joy’s desire that all consumers are treated with the utmost respect. We provide services to all persons with disabilities regardless of the type of disability. There is no charge for services and we do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.