It is still very fresh news for all of us at RespectAbility that my friend and colleague Ben Spangenberg passed away, but amidst the grief, it is impossible not to remember Ben’s amazing contributions. Obviously, Ben was best known in our world for his leadership of our National Leadership Fellowship Program. He lived by a simple vision saying, “I want young people in the disability community to know they are loved and appreciated for their unique dreams, talents, and skills.” He always maintained that the disability community needed the opportunity to share and be recognized for our talents. He was particularly excited when the fellowship began to pay hourly wages, as he knew that it would enable many more people to participate in the program. This exemplified one of the strongest facets of Ben’s leadership, but not the only one.
Ben Spangenberg, Justin Chappell, and now-President Joe Biden
Though never a member of our Policy department, Ben was a life-long policy wonk who always loved to pitch in on RespectAbility’s democracy work. In 2016, he spent several weeks in Iowa and New Hampshire interviewing presidential candidates. He met 100 percent of the major 2016 presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle, educating their campaigns on the importance of not only ensuring accessibility of events and materials but also creating thoughtful policies for helping people with disabilities achieve employment goals. These were life-long passions.
Ben shared these passions with his late husband, former RespectAbility Fellow Justin Chappell. In fact, it is this passion that first brought them together, as they met at the 2004 Democratic National Convention when Ben was networking with many other people with disabilities and many in the LGBTQ+ community. The Chappell/Spangenberg power couple became an incredible force for advocacy, and during the first democratic debate of the 2020 cycle, they joined together in the media spin room trying to get candidates on the record on disability issues. It is a mission he delivered on in spades.
Jim Obergefell with Ben Spangenberg and Justin Chappell
Ben did not confine his advocacy work to disability. Though Ben met Justin in 2004, and they began dating in 2010, they did not marry until that option would be available to same-sex couples in the entire country. This led them to be in the room as a guest of Jim Obergefell when the Supreme Court announced that decision, a fact that Ben shared with pride when reminiscing on the two-year anniversary of Justin’s death just a few weeks ago.
Perhaps, the best way to sum up Ben’s contribution is in his own words: “As a member of RespectAbility’s staff, I am able to both advocate for people with disabilities and train the next generations of leaders in the disability community… I always strive to choose the most diverse candidates for the Fellowship. Just as I was able to push 2016 presidential candidates to prepare policies on mental health, employment of people with disabilities, and benefits reform that will help others in the disability community who did not have the opportunity that I have, my current work educating and training Fellows will ensure that the baton will be passed to the next generation of effective young leaders.” The baton has now passed, and the team here at RespectAbility will indeed continue Ben’s fight, even as the hundreds of Fellows that he has trained represent a powerful legacy of leadership. To Ben we say, “Rest in Power, your part is done.” To the rest of us, Ben’s legacy and spirit shout, “Onward!”
Y’all give a beautiful picture of Ben from his work. He chose such an important thing to work on and it’s clear he was very good at it.