This holiday season people are looking for the perfect gifts for loved ones. For millions of Americans with disabilities, the gift they want is a job. Employment is about a lot more than just a paycheck: it provides a way to contribute to the community; the chance to develop friendships; and a way to improve [click to continue...]
New York Jewish Community on Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Faith Communities Shows Concerns on Access to Healthcare, Education, Jobs, Fighting Stigmas and Jewish Inclusion Washington, D.C., Dec. 21 – More than 4000 respondents participated in a RespectAbility survey focused on the inclusion of people with disabilities in faith communities in America. This includes [click to continue...]
Washington, D.C., Dec. 19 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit disabilities organization, thanks Senator John Cornyn for his leadership on criminal justice reform. Said Hon. Steve Bartlett, the former Dallas mayor and member of Congress who now chairs RespectAbility, “While a large number of Members of the House and Senate were pivotal in creating and passing Criminal [click to continue...]
Washington, D.C., Dec. 18 – As Congress advances our national dialogue on criminal justice reform, it is critical to remember that criminal justice issues are issues that dramatically impact people with disabilities. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 32 percent of federal prisoners and 40 percent of people in jail have at least one disability. RespectAbility, [click to continue...]
When Donn Weinberg, Shelley Cohen and I started RespectAbility, it was an outgrowth of the Jewish Funders Network disability funders group. Amazing people, including Judith Creed, Joan Alexander and others were involved. One thing we all realized is that young leadership is a key to the future, and that talented young people with disabilities need [click to continue...]
[UPDATE March 30, 2019] – “Ian” will be showing at the ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 in Queens and Saturday, April 6, 2019 in Manhattan. The festival is adding audio description to this animated short so people who are blind or who have low vision can enjoy it independently at [click to continue...]
Washington, D.C., Dec. 3 – On November 30, 2018, America lost a champion for people with disabilities, President George H.W. Bush. In 1990, Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, which prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities. The law improved the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities. “Among President George H.W. Bush’s [click to continue...]
Jews and Arabs in Israel Unite by Working Together within the Disability Community We live in a diverse and interconnected world that challenges us to learn how to live together in peace. “Coexistence” is a popular buzzword these days, but it’s easy to lose sight of what true coexistence entails. Living in harmony with others who [click to continue...]
Washington, D.C., Nov. 19 – Key senate and gubernatorial candidates from both sides of the political aisle who support opportunities for people with disabilities won big this election, showing that disability rights is a winning issue. There are 56 million people with disabilities (one in five Americans), more than 35 million of whom are eligible voters (one-sixth [click to continue...]
For this week’s Shabbat Smile, we are sharing an interview with Limmud, an organization led by Eli Ovits that is working to include Jews with disabilities. What is the mission of your organization? Wherever you find yourself, Limmud will take you one step further on your Jewish journey. Limmud’s mission is informed by the following values: [click to continue...]
