Changing attitudes means that we challenge stigma and amplify authentic narratives on disability. We’re proud to be a “nothing about us, without us” organization, led by those with a diversity of disabilities and other intersectional identities. Disabled people are the best experts on their lived experience, and we work to promote this reality across our four pillars.
The Entertainment and News Media team worked on more than 175 TV episodes and films. The Policy team spotlighted employers with successful disability inclusion programs and trained more than 400 people on best practices for disability employment. The Faith Inclusion team gave presentations around the country, including collaborating with a church to produce a 5-part webinar series. And the Disability Training and Speakers Bureau expanded their clientele, reaching more industries and sectors than ever before. Across our departments, we changed attitudes through more than 105 trainings and speaking engagements and 4 e-newsletters.
In 2022, our team…
- Completed 19 entertainment and news media-related speaking engagements, including at the Golden Globes and U.S. State Department, and 21 trainings for more than 2,500 people at a variety of studios and production companies
- Conducted 54 disability inclusion trainings, including for Bausch + Lomb, Publicis Groupe, and Mayo Clinic
- Expanded consulting clientele to include medical organizations and schools, law firms, marketing firms, as well as offices in the federal government
- For National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022, spotlighted 3 employers who are successfully hiring disabled workers: Alaska Airlines, JP Morgan Chase, and Procter & Gamble
- Directly trained more than 400 people in best practices around employment through webinars and presentations at conferences
- Collaborated with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach, California to produce a 5-part webinar series on Disability in the Torah and Christian Bible
- Gave presentations across the country, including to the executive leadership team at the Illif School of Theology, at the AAIDD Northeastern Region X Annual Conference, at the Institute on Theology and Disability, and to the Texas Disability Network
- Provided training for major foundations such as the Kresge Foundation on how to ensure people with disabilities are not left behind in philanthropic efforts
- Trained communications and foundation professionals in website and social media accessibility at ComNet 2022
Dreamworks’ Madagascar: A Little Wild featured a young girl named and modeled after Deaf actress Shaylee Mansfield who was animated by using a video reference of her performing the role. In what is possibly a first for Deaf performers, she is credited alongside the audible voice actors for her sign over performance in the episode “Gloria’s Got ‘Em All.”
