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Episode 64 Resources: The Movement 4 Improvement: 4 Wheel City

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Description

This episode of ADA Live! features hip-hop artists and disability rights advocates, Namel “Tapwaterz” Norris and Ricardo “Rickfire” Velasquez of 4 Wheel City: The Movement 4 Improvement, an entertainment and musical group. Their mission is to use hip-hop music and culture to create more opportunities for people with disabilities and inspire people not to give up on life. 4 Wheel City performs original music as well as motivational speaking at hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, fundraisers, and events, all over the world. Additionally, Mr. Norris and Mr. Velasquez, wheelchair riders as the result of gun violence, strive to demonstrate to the world that people with disabilities have talents, dreams, and deserve equality.

Learn about 4 Wheel City

Features hip-hop artists and disability rights advocates:

  • Namel “Tapwaterz” Norris
  • Ricardo “Rickfire” Velasquez

Check out their music, videos, tour, events, and two community outreach programs
– Welcome 2 Reality and Rap Therapy.

Featured Lyrics & Music Videos

The three songs featured in the ADA Live! Episode 64 followed by their lyrics:

More 4 Wheel City Music & Videos

Articles and Media featuring 4 Wheel City

Related Information on Topics Discussed in this ADA Live! Episode 64

This data sheet summarizes the causes of injury for persons admitted to the SCI Model Systems of Care between September 2005 and March 2015. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, violence is the third leading cause of spinal cord injury and more than 13% of those injuries are caused by gunshot wounds. The New York City SCI Association (NYCSCIA) has partnered with Namel Norris and Ricardo Velasquez [4 Wheel City] to try and do something about this by launching a new initiative to reach out to school kids through music called The Welcome to Reality Tour.
Link: nycspinalcord.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Recent-trends-in-causes-of-SCI-2015.pdf

Every year, an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 new spinal cord injuries occur in the United States. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, over a quarter of these injuries are caused by “violent encounters, often involving guns and knives.”
Link: miamiheatwheels.com/gun-violence-and-spinal-cord-injury/

An overview of the progress that has been made in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities in society and development around the world.
Link: un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/the-10th-anniversary-of-the-adoption-of-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-crpd-crpd-10.html

Emergency Preparedness

Namel Norris wrote: The song ‘Disabled Lives Matter’ to “bring awareness to the needs of people with [d]isabilities in emergencies like natural disasters. We team[ed] up with The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies organization to make it and performed [the song] at their conference in [Washington,] DC back in May.”
In this ADA Live! Episode 64, Namel spoke about attending this conference and working with Marcie (Roth), who is CEO for the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. The Partnership works on expanding its shared commitment to achieving and sustaining disability inclusive whole community emergency preparedness, community resilience, response, recovery and mitigation before, during, and after disasters.