It all started in 2016 at Coler Rehabilitative + Nursing Care Center on Roosevelt Island, when a group of us—men decades younger than the average nursing home resident, most living with spinal cord injuries from gun violence—were looking for purpose and connection. A neighborhood artist created OPEN DOORS to meet that need, bringing in mentors and other resources. What began as a writing workshop grew into a movement.

We called ourselves the Reality Poets and began performing at schools and community spaces across New York City—sharing our stories, our truth, and our art. From there, we branched out into music, design, theater, and film, and the crew grew to include women and people with different disabilities. When COVID hit, we turned our energy toward protecting nursing home residents everywhere and amplifying disabled voices.

Today, guided by the Reality Poets, OPEN DOORS is a thriving creative community of nursing home residents, allies, and advocates. 

OPEN DOORS is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action.