Los Angeles, Sept. 20 – Ian Malesiewski, who lives with a Spinal Cord Injury, was a Public Policy and Employment Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Winter and Spring 2021, and he is now off to use his multidimensional academic background with his applied policy change experience to make spheres of influence in politics [click to continue...]
Los Angeles, July 8 – Amber Espinosa-Jones manages the Outreach & Inclusion department of the Sundance Institute, where her team runs Fellowships, facilitates intensives, and oversees grants. Further, she is a driving force in the support of Sundance’s initiatives for diverse talent like the Director’s Lab, Editing Lab, and the Producing Program. She recently spoke [click to continue...]
“For years the industry has talked about diversity and inclusion and representation, and every single time we have been left out of the conversation…and that time is over.” – Steve Way Los Angeles, July 8 – Steve Way is a substitute teacher by day and a stand-up comedian by night in the New York and [click to continue...]
“Andrew and I have been partners for a few years now, and to me, we are like the dream team, because the things that I have challenges with are his strengths, and vice versa.” – Leah Romond, Senior Production Advisor at RespectAbility Los Angeles, July 7 – Leah Romond and Andrew Pilkington were both producers [click to continue...]
Los Angeles, July 1 – In 1979, when Joey Travolta was acting on the Sunnyside set for one of the first times, he thought to himself, “man, I want to do this for the rest of my life.” This euphoric professional fulfilment is an experience he strives to help marginalized people achieve. After mentoring a [click to continue...]
Los Angeles, June 24 – The first day of this year’s Entertainment Lab for Professionals with Disabilities introduced the Summer 2021 cohort to a group of successful Lab alumni who have used the program to springboard into their entertainment careers prioritizing disability inclusion. Two of these individuals include Ava Rigelhaupt, a 2020 Lab alumna who [click to continue...]
Los Angeles, CA, June 3 – Victoria’s Secret was my childhood nightmare. I closed my eyes, held my mom’s hand, and tried not to peek, as my 5-year-old self bumped into mannequins in lace around every corner. Growing up in a conservative Catholic home, I spent over a decade believing that this playground-aged instinct to [click to continue...]
Los Angeles, CA, May 27 – Making history as the first Deaf or hard of hearing contestant on ABC’s iconic dating series, The Bachelor, Abigail Heringer has pioneered a new direction of diverse production in authentic and intersectional entertainment. The representative progress that has been made for AAPI television personalities and people with disabilities on-screen [click to continue...]
Los Angeles, CA, May 27 – Depression is a silent epidemic in America: according to the community-based nonprofit, Mental Health America, 13% of youth battle depressive episodes. MTV’s new investigative documentary on mental illness, Each and Every Day, offers powerful visibility to the survivors behind these statistics. Though nonvisible disabilities often can be overlooked in media, [click to continue...]
“The fundamental DNA among all those of good will remains the same: meaningful inclusion and true empowerment.” Los Angeles, May 2 – Having worked in inclusive public policy since the 1990s, Ollie Cantos is a firm believer in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to create change in the world. Currently serving as Special [click to continue...]
