Events

Date: Wednesday, September 29
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yAOhvOVFTXeBTzNTfO1j8w

There are 5,412,676 Hispanic/Latinx people with disabilities in America today, making up 9.1% of the total population. There are 2,969,668 working-age Hispanic/Latinx people with disabilities and out of that number, just 1,213,802 had jobs in 2019.

In America’s K-12 public school system there are 1,826,344 Hispanic/Latinx disabled students. Nationwide, they make up fully 27% of all special education students. In some jurisdictions, such as the Los Angeles Unified School and New York City, Hispanic/Latinx students with disabilities comprise the majority of special education students.

Join members of RespectAbility’s Board, Staff and National Leadership program in a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and learn more about ways in which we can change these statistics – from policy and civic education to entertainment media. [continue reading…]

Date: Friday, October 1
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nNXkDm8pTYCmr1qUhY1umA

RespectAbility, a diverse disability-led nonprofit organization that fights stigmas and advances opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community, officially announced the release of its new strategic plan. The plan is the culmination of a year-long process that brought together a cadre of key influencers from across the country, building upon evidence-based research, refinement, and results from the past eight years. The result is a bold, forward-looking, and visionary five-year roadmap to shatter old paradigms by engaging in a multifaceted approach to remove physical, programmatic, and attitudinal barriers to full societal participation by people with all types of disabilities.

Join us for a webinar with RespectAbility Chairman Ollie Cantos and other Board officers to learn more about the strategic plan and what is next for RespectAbility. This webinar will have ASL interpretation and live captioning. [continue reading…]

Throughout the month of October 2021, join RespectAbility for a series of virtual celebrations, panel conversations and networking opportunities as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Through a combination of forward-facing panels and breakout networking rooms, participants will learn about writing, directing, producing, self-advocacy and more. Please note that some sessions are open only to entertainment industry creatives who identify as deaf or disabled, as we seek to continue to build community.

Disabled Characters: Who gets to write them? Who gets to play them?

Date: Friday, October 1
Time: 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. PT

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cast-to-the-future-tickets-171532647767

This event is part of a larger series of events. Learn more: https://www.respectability.org/ndeam-entertainment-summit/

Join Film Fatales and RespectAbility for a panel discussion about inclusive casting with  casting consultant Ava Rigelhaupt, filmmaker Alaa Zabara (Salahy) and talent agent Gail Williamson (KMR Talent).

The question of who should tell stories of marginalized and underrepresented voices has been much discussed, sometimes leading to heated stances over artistic freedom, cultural appropriation and accusations of censorship. And yet, disabled stories are sorely lacking in representation. Twenty percent of people have a disability while on-screen representation hovers around three percent, with no meaningful change in the last five years. While more attention is being paid to hiring disabled actors for disabled roles, what about opportunities for disabled actors to play nondisabled characters? And who should be writing these roles? What are best practices for inclusive casting and accessible sets? Join us for a deep dive into a conversation about inclusive casting for both visible and nonvisible disabilities, creating accessible sets, and ensuring authentic authorship.

This event is open to the public and will be accessible with CART captioning and ASL. [continue reading…]

Date: Tuesday, October 5
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xPpYVFpOTtCCWvXD9uHiwQ

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have necessitated the shift to virtual services for many key educational, occupational and transitional service programs. As a part of the constellation of programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) support youth with disabilities during a critical time of their lives. Many states have been scrambling to manage the shift to virtual services and struggling to develop best practices to support client success.

Leaders in Tennessee’s vocational rehabilitation system have published a thorough best practice guide reflecting critical lessons and valuable insights gained about providing effective virtual Pre-Employment Transition Services. This free online learning opportunity will directly enable engaged workforce leaders and self-advocates to understand what works, what is changing and how to plan for an exciting virtual future. [continue reading…]

Date: Wednesday, October 20
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WiWN3wXOT5Sw_ykgp6JRyA

Neurodiversity, system collaborations and transition services for youth with disabilities are some of the most cutting-edge topics in the wider world of disability employment. Fostering cooperation between different programs is critical for achieving transformative results for people with significant barriers to employment.

The Neurodiversity at Work programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute is built on a foundation of interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration. It offers critical lessons and emerging practices for other youth serving agencies, organizations, and programs. Please join us for this special webinar where we will unpack and discuss in detail what makes Kennedy Krieger’s work successful. [continue reading…]

Date: Saturday, October 23
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. PT

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Aqli9_3yRTqdzr7d_4Ysxw

This event is part of a larger series of events. Learn more: https://www.respectability.org/ndeam-entertainment-summit

As we continue to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) throughout October, RespectAbility is proud to invite you to this important discussion in partnership with Roadmap Writers surrounding the experience of disabled writers currently working in the writers room and beyond.

Roadmap Writers is a talent training and discovery platform for screenwriters ready for a guided path to success. Their programs are hosted by working industry executives and are designed to empower writers with actionable tools and insights to elevate your craft and cultivate relationships with industry professionals. Since 2016, they have helped more than 185 writers sign to representation and countless others get staffed, optioned, or sell their script.

Just as no disabled person has the same life experience as another, there is no singular path to the writers room. For many people in the disability community, that path can often feel even more difficult to navigate given the historical lack of inclusion and accessibility in the Entertainment industry. That said, the industry seems to be at a turning point as more and more disabled writers are making their way into the writers room, and more decision-makers are beginning to understand the importance of improving the representation of disabled people both in front of and behind the camera. Please join us for a conversation with our esteemed group of panelists, Diana Romero (4400), Marc Muszynski (Dexter), and Shea Mirzai (Space Coyote Productions) as they discuss their journeys and experiences as disabled writers currently working in the industry. Please RSVP via the link above, and continue to check back as more panelists are confirmed in the coming weeks.

[continue reading…]

Date: Wednesday, November 10
Time: 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. PT

RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m0afHuRrT1OjQD-5eLFQoA

18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and 9 months into the Biden Administration, it is worth taking time to reflect on how the employment landscape has been transformed for workers with disabilities. The federal government is actively working to capitalize on the accessibility gains made by remote work and striving to implement policies to promote the safety of workers in diverse sectors of the economy. This webinar will feature a host of key high-level federal leaders reflecting on their work, their priorities and their hopes for the months ahead. As we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we look to these leaders for their reflections on how to link greater inclusion, diversity and equity to the economic recovery of America. [continue reading…]