Search: inclusive philanthropy

Among lesbian, gay and bisexual adults, 30 percent of men and 36 percent of women also identify as having a disability. The disability community intersects with every other minority group, and the LGBTQ community is no exception. The LGBTQ rights movement has made tremendous progress over the past five years, but there is a lot of work left to be done to ensure that LGBTQ people are truly equal.

Both people who identify as LGBTQ and people who have invisible disabilities such as learning disabilities like dyslexia, mental health or ADHD have to decide whether or not to “come out of the closet.” This is not an easy decision for most people because of the uncertainty of whether or not acceptance will follow. LGBTQ youth who come out sometimes are rejected by their families and friends. Some are even kicked out of their homes and forced to live on the streets. According to a University of Chicago report, LGBTQ young adults had a 120 percent higher risk of reporting homelessness compared to youth who identified as heterosexual and cisgender. [continue reading…]

“I see the world in a different way than most people and for me, that’s been a positive thing.” – Shark Tank star and businessman Daymond John, who has Dyslexia

UPDATED APRIL 2019

More than 5.4 million African Americans live with a disability in the U.S., 3.4 million of which are working-age African Americans with disabilities.

Only 28.6 percent of working-age African Americans with disabilities are employed in the U.S. compared to 73.7 percent of working-age African Americans without disabilities. This is in line with the rest of the country, with fully one-in-five Americans having a disability and just 30 percent of those who are working-age being employed, despite polls showing that most of them want to work. This leads to approximately 40 percent of African Americans with disabilities living in poverty compared to 22 percent of African Americans without disabilities. [continue reading…]

Michelle Rodriguez

There are 4,869,400 Latinx and Hispanic Americans living with a disability in the U.S.

Only 37 percent of working-age Latinx and Hispanic Americans with disabilities are employed in the U.S., compared to 73.9 percent of working-age Latinx and Hispanic Americans without disabilities. This is in line with the rest of the country, with fully one-in-five Americans having a disability and just 30 percent of those who are working-age being employed, despite polls showing that most of them want to work.

Salma Hayek

While we know that there are currently at least 1,471,367 Latinx and Hispanic students with disabilities in our country, only 59 percent of them complete high school. To compound this issue, students with disabilities of all backgrounds are at risk for entering the school-to-prison pipeline; there are more than 750,000 people with disabilities behind bars in our nation. [continue reading…]

Organizations are at their best when they welcome, respect and include people of all backgrounds – and this includes people with disabilities. Fully 1-in-5 people have a learning, mental health, physical, sensory or other disability. People can be born with a disability, or acquire one due to an accident, aging, gun violence or in military service to our nation. People with disabilities want to be included in philanthropy, nonprofits and in solving problems in our communities, just like anyone else. [continue reading…]

Enabling People with Disabilities to Achieve Jobs and a Better Future

Fully 1-in-5 people have a learning, mental health, physical, sensory or other disability that is a barrier to everyday living. People can be born with a disability, or acquire one due to an accident, aging, gun violence or in military service to our nation. It is time for people with disabilities to be seen for their tremendous human potential — and what they CAN do. [continue reading…]

RespectAbility is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities. RespectAbility advances policies and practices that empower people with disabilities to have a better future.

In honor of RespectAbility’s tenth anniversary in 2023, we reflected on RespectAbility’s accomplishments and our progress towards our mission to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. We discussed RespectAbility’s history and evolving advocacy. We shared how we hope to change the landscape for the disability community in our next ten years. We highlighted ways that organizations can join the movement and advance on their own journeys to become more accessible, equitable, and inclusive of the disability community and its intersecting identities. [continue reading…]

Regardless of intent, words or phrases can express bias. Using the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s (NCDJ) disability language style guide and other practical information, receive tools on how to communicate in an effective and inclusive way. This session covered general terms and words on physical disabilities, hearing and visual disabilities, mental and cognitive disabilities, and seizure disorders. Beyond specific language, learn from communications and nonprofit experts on how to ensure overall storytelling is inclusive of people with disabilities. [continue reading…]

Los Angeles, CA, February 18 – RespectAbility is proud to announce that our first Philanthropy Apprentices in the National Leadership Program have completed their training and been directly placed with partner organizations. Thanks to the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ari Katz, Georgia Carr and Alejandra Tristan have brought disability visibility to the philanthropic sector. The National Leadership Program allowed Apprentices to “earn while they learned,” then transition into new jobs. Each apprentice found employment that supported a cause unique to their interests.

“It is vital for diversity programs to include people with disabilities,” said Hon. Steve Bartlett, Chair Emeritus of RespectAbility. Bartlett was lead co-author the Americans with Disabilities Act when he served in Congress. “We have come a long way on disability rights, but we need to ensure that people with disabilities are at all decision-making tables – and that includes in philanthropy. We are grateful to MacArthur for recognizing the importance of full inclusion and access for people with disabilities.” [continue reading…]