Mobilize Waco was born in 2018, under the original name of the Amberley Collaborative. Founder Meg Wallace was searching for ways to increase community support for people experiencing disability and other potentially isolating challenges. After five years of exploration and community engagement, the Amberley Collaborative had developed a strong network of disabled self-advocates and their allies, and it was time for a name change. In early 2023, we became Mobilize Waco.
Since then our activity has accelerated quickly. In 2023 we completed our first infrastructure assessment in cooperation with TxDOT; helped with local planning for the international Institute on Theology and Disability, held at Baylor University in June; participated in a regional visioning process with the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization; and were invited to help create new accessibility standards for the State of Texas.
Our Action Team, made up of disabled self-advocates and allies, now meets monthly at Bitty & Beau's, followed by informal social time at Ninfa's. We're building momentum: working on improving accessible parking and parking enforcement, getting ready for our next round of infrastructure assessments, and planning for profit-share fund-raisers at local restaurants.
And in 2023 our new logo and this website were created with support from a capacity-building grant from the Waco Foundation, and we began taping episodes of our new radio program, Living It with Mobilize Waco, at KBWU, our local NPR station.
It's been a big year! We're ready to roll into 2024 and beyond, starting with the launch of Living It on January 19.