“Lessons on accessibility – or any kind of advocacy or awareness – can and should never be relegated to just one ‘special’ month. But it’s never too late to start.” Overseeing an organization’s employee newsletter means having almost complete editorial control, which in turn means that you can more or less add in anything you [click to continue...]
Rockville, Maryland, Sept. 23 – For more than 20 years, Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda has spearheaded initiatives to advance the principles of access and inclusion in the US and abroad. Pineda moved to the United States from Venezuela when he was seven years old because he was denied a right to an education. As a [click to continue...]
Rockville, Maryland, Sept. 18 – Workforce development for people with disabilities has not only been Jaime Pacheco-Orozco’s job for the past twenty years but also his passion. The Assistant Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Department of Disability, Pacheco-Orozco manages the day-to-day operations of the department and oversees the budgetary, legislative and strategic [click to continue...]
With 25 years of experience at The Coca-Cola Company, Vincenzo Piscopo knows the importance of shaping workplace inclusion through philanthropic involvement. As the Community and Stakeholder Relations Director for Coca-Cola, Piscopo manages company relationships with disability, veteran and Hispanic organizations and advocates for these communities internally. Born and raised in Venezuela, he received a bachelor’s [click to continue...]
The number seven has incredible significance in Judaism: the seven days of creation and the holiness of Shabbat; the seven Patriarch and Matriarchs; the seven branches of the menorah in the Temple; the seven blessings and circles in weddings; and the seven days of mourning after the death of a close relative – just to [click to continue...]
As we begin to cautiously look towards the future and imagine the new shapes that institutions – such as schools, synagogues and other organizations – may take on, it is crucial that accessibility be considered while laying these frameworks. Right now, we are beginning to think about what education may mean for this fall. We [click to continue...]
Lily Coltoff has spent a great deal of her life advocating for access for herself as well as for the awareness and understanding of rare conditions. After the Fellowship, she hopes to secure a job as a science writer.
As we head into Shabbat, I wanted to offer some highlights from Tuesday’s 5th session of our Disability Access and Inclusion Training Series for Jewish Organizations, “How to Ensure a Welcoming Lexicon, Accessible Websites and Social Media and Inclusive Photos.” An organization’s website, in today’s digital world, can be seen as its front lobby – and, [click to continue...]
Traditionally, during the Passover seder, we ask four questions, starting with the well-known refrain “mah nishtanah ha’layla ha’zeh mi’kol ha’leylot: why is this night different from all other nights?” This year, there are far more than the traditional four answers to this query. We are, right now, living in a time of challenge and hardship, a new “mitzraym” or narrow place for all of [click to continue...]
Film will premiere as the Opening Night selection of The ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York and will be shown virtually on March 31, 2020, followed by a Q&A. New York City, March 31 – Have you ever been online, just aimlessly scrolling through the web and found an article that makes a point you’ve been trying to [click to continue...]
