HeakeSpeak — Truth, Accountability, and Community Resilience

Community resilience is not abstract — it is a matter of safety, dignity, and survival. At a time when enforcement actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and policies of the current administration are producing fear, harm, and deep disruption within communities, transparent documentation and collective awareness are essential.

People with Disabilities are disproportionately impacted during enforcement actions — through lack of accessible communication, denial of accommodations, separation from caregivers, and failures in emergency response. Yet these experiences are routinely underreported, mischaracterized, or erased entirely.

HeakeSpeak exists to change that.

Our current focus is to support community-led, transparent reporting of incidents related to ICE activities, with a specific emphasis on disability impact, accessibility failures, and civil and human rights concerns. We believe that resilience is built when communities have tools to safely document what is happening, share verified information, and advocate for accountability — without fear or exclusion.

To support this work, HeakeSpeak is developing a crowd-mapping and incident reporting platform using the Epicollect5 framework. This platform will allow individuals, advocates, and organizations to submit reports, map trends, and elevate lived experiences — particularly those of People with Disabilities — in a way that prioritizes accessibility, privacy, and ethical data use.

We were hoping to utilize the Ushahidi platform. We are waiting to hear back about an upgrade. It is possible we will build and test two prototypes on both the Epicollect5 and Ushahidi platforms.

Call to Action: Epicollect 5 & Ushahidi Developers & Accessibility Technologists

Please fill out the Volunteer Form. If you have any questions please contact: george@heakespeak.org

We are actively seeking Epicollect5 and Ushahidi developers, accessibility engineers, data ethicists, and community technologists who believe in building tools for justice and inclusion.

If you have experience with Ushahidi, civic tech, accessibility (WCAG/ADA), data validation, or secure reporting systems — we invite you to collaborate.

Help us build a platform that is:

• Accessible to people with disabilities

• Trauma-informed and privacy-respecting

• Community-governed and transparent

• Designed to support resilience, not surveillance

Build with us. Document with us. Stand with communities.

Legal & Ethical Disclaimers

HeakeSpeak is an independent, non-governmental initiative.
We are not affiliated with ICE, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency.

Incident reports submitted through HeakeSpeak platforms represent first-hand accounts, observations, or experiences as described by the reporting individual.
Reports are not legal determinations of wrongdoing and should not be construed as verified findings, legal conclusions, or accusations of criminal conduct unless explicitly supported by corroborating evidence.

HeakeSpeak does not provide legal advice.
Information presented on this site or through our mapping tools is intended for documentation, research, advocacy, and community awareness purposes only. Individuals seeking legal assistance should consult a qualified attorney or accredited legal service provider.

Accessibility and disability-related impacts are documented based on reported experiences.
These reports do not substitute for medical, legal, or formal civil rights evaluations but are intended to highlight systemic patterns, risks, and community needs.

Privacy and safety are core principles of this project.
Personally identifiable information is handled with care, and reporting tools are designed to minimize risk to individuals and communities. Submission of information is voluntary.