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Tips for an Inclusive and Accessible Passover Seder

A decorative passover seder plate Every year on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan (April 22 on the Gregorian calendar this year) Jewish people celebrate Passover. We gather at homes and synagogues for the first of two seders. The Haggadah includes the order of the rituals, blessings, songs, and readings. It even tells when to eat the seder meal.

The Torah describes how the Israelites hurriedly packed provisions for the journey out of Egypt and couldn’t wait for their bread dough to rise. (Exodus 12:39). Two mitzvot (commandments) require future generations to eat only unleavened bread during Passover and to tell the Passover story to all our children.

How can a seder be engaging and meaningful for all guests, including children, teens, and adults with disabilities? Here are some tips you can use: [continue reading…]

The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act Could Change My Life

Frank Liang

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal assistance program that provides financial help to low-income disabled individuals and those older than 65. SSI was created after President Richard Nixon signed the Social Security Amendments of 1972 and officially went into effect in 1974. The amount an individual receives depends on their level of income and the resources they have available, such as money in their bank accounts.

Although SSI does help many people who are disabled or elderly, it puts a stranglehold on their economic and professional advancement. Individuals who receive SSI are not allowed to have more than $2,000 in assets at any given time. If two people who receive SSI get married, instead of them each being allowed to have $2,000 in assets, they as a couple are only allowed to have $3,000 combined. This puts a strain on many people’s livelihoods, and makes it more difficult for people wanting to transition out of SSI, save money, or get married.

When SSI was first passed in 1974, the original asset limits were $1,500 for individuals and $2,000 for couples. They increased to the current limits in 1989 and have not changed since. Thanks to inflation, everything from housing to food has gotten more expensive in the past 35 years, and so these limits make it difficult for people like me to save money and live independently. [continue reading…]

RespectAbility Receives Gift From the Yield Giving Open Call

Logos for Lever for Change and Yield Giving Open Call. Text reads Yield Giving Open Call Awardee This week, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced RespectAbility as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States.

RespectAbility is a diverse, cross-disability, and disability-led nonprofit organization that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, and that advances policies and practices that empower disabled people to have a better future. RespectAbility’s mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.

“This generous contribution from Yield Giving will enhance our ability to achieve systemic change and foster inclusion across sectors,” said Ariel Simms, President and CEO of RespectAbility. “We will be able to leverage this support to expand our reach and impact, advancing more opportunities for our community, developing future generations of disabled leaders, and creating greater shifts in societal attitudes toward disability.” [continue reading…]