News

Khadija Bari Elected as new Board Chair, with two new additions to the Board of Directors

Khadija Bari speaks at the 2024 Disability Impact Awards

The diverse, disability-led nonprofit Disability Belongs™ (formerly RespectAbility) is focused on systemic change, including changing perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities, so they can fully participate in all aspects of community. The recent name change reflects the evolution of the organization’s brand, and with it, the organization also welcomes new board leadership. 

Disability Belongs™ is proud to announce that Khadija Bari (she/her) has been elected as the sixth Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. “I am thrilled to lead the Board of Disability Belongs™, as we begin this new chapter in the organization’s bright future,” said Khadija Bari. “It is a much-welcomed change as we continue and grow in our work of redefining narratives, developing leaders, and driving opportunity for the disability community across the nation. I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of Disability Belongs™’ past Chairs that have made their mark and continue to pave the way in strengthening the rights of people with disabilities around the world. The expertise of the Board of Directors and Advisors is invaluable to me, and I look forward to supporting President and CEO Ariel Simms as we turn the page and usher in a new era for Disability Belongs™.” [continue reading…]

All aspects of the concert-going experience, from purchasing a ticket to attending the show, can be difficult for a disabled guest. During my time in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program, through extensive research and open conversations with organizations and venues, I have learned it is possible to have a well-rounded concert experience as a disabled guest with the right accommodations in place.

The Challenges

In the past, I have been a verified fan through Ticketmaster, which qualified me for presale. However, wheelchair-accessible seats were not available on Ticketmaster at the time. This required me to contact the venue directly to purchase the seats, but the venue was not offering the seats until general on-sale. This created a barrier in the process since it did not allow me to utilize my presale status. I have also had barriers when trying to purchase my companion tickets in the same section as me. The Americans with Disabilities Act states up to three companion seats may be purchased, and that these seats must be near the accessible seats. But most venues only allow one companion to be purchased with a wheelchair seat. This can be limiting to the disabled patron when traveling with family and friends, and it is frustrating because non-disabled customers can experience the concert with as many friends as they’d like. [continue reading…]

Steve Bartlett Award and Spangenberg-Chappell Memorial Award will be presented in Washington D.C. at 3^rd Annual Disability Impact Awards.

June 6, 2024 – RespectAbility is proud to announce the recipients of its third annual Disability Impact Awards, which recognize individuals working to advance opportunities for people with disabilities. Lex Frieden, one of the chief architects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), will receive the 2024 Steve Bartlett Award, named after the Honorable Steve Bartlett, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and was a principal co-author of the ADA. The Spangenberg-Chappell Memorial Award will go to RespectAbility Fellow and groundbreaking deaf-blind journalist Steven McCoy. Both Frieden and McCoy will accept their awards at RespectAbility’s Disability Impact Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on July 11^th, closing out a week of policy activity during Disability Advocacy Week. [continue reading…]

RespectAbility Entertainment Media Fellow Steven McCoy with Whoopi Goldberg

Speaking prior to the ReelAbilities Film Festival’s opening night ceremony, Whoopi Goldberg shared profound insights into her journey with dyslexia, emphasizing how she reframed her challenges as strengths rather than limitations.

“For me, it’s never been a source of shame,” Goldberg said in an interview with RespectAbility on the red carpet. “It was frustrating because they placed me in classes where I struggled due to the way my brain processes information. However, my memory for details and the ability to recall conversations from years ago are my gifts. I see them as my superpowers.”

Her perspective on self-acceptance and empowerment deeply resonated with me, especially as someone who has grappled with insecurities and self-expression. I expressed my personal gratitude to Goldberg for redefining conventional standards of beauty. Goldberg’s confidence in her own beauty left a lasting impact on me.

[continue reading…]

Jessica Hetzel and Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt

At an event at the Jewish Community Center in Detroit on March 10, Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt, a writer, consultant, actress, speaker, and advocate for disability and autism representation, discussed her story and her work on the Broadway musical “How to Dance in Ohio.” The event, organized by The J’s Opening the Doors program, was in celebration of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM).

Ava identifies as a Chinese, transracial, Jewish, autistic adoptee. She shared her experiences of intersectional identities and how that affected her career in the entertainment industry. In Ava’s speech, she briefly touched on her experience of being diagnosed and how she managed it. Ava’s discussion of her multiple identities left the audience with a lasting impression of the importance of inclusion and belonging among various communities. [continue reading…]

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…]

Millions of low-income people with disabilities and older adults receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) each month. For these recipients, SSI is a vital source of income that pays for rent, food, transportation, and other living expenses. However, people who receive SSI are trapped in a cycle of enforced poverty. To receive SSI, an individual may have no more than $2,000 in savings at any given time. If a person works part-time or sporadically, their income plus SSI benefits may easily put them over the $2,000 asset limit. This disincentivizes working and saving money.  If two people who both receive SSI get married, they are not each allowed to have $2,000 in assets; they are only allowed to have $3,000 between them. This is known as the “marriage penalty,” because it prevents many couples who receive SSI from getting married. The extremely low asset limits prevent low-income people with disabilities and older adults from working, saving, and getting married.

The bipartisan SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would increase the SSI asset limits from $2,000 to $10,000 for unmarried individuals and eliminates the marriage penalty by allowing two SSI recipients to get married and have up to $20,000 in assets as a couple. The bill also requires asset limits to be adjusted yearly to keep up with the cost of living.

How can you help?

In our efforts to ensure that this bill passes through Congress, please contact your Senators and your Member of the House of Representatives to encourage them to sponsor the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act. Every call and every voice make a difference!

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…]

Park City, January 17 – In 2020, filmmaker and disability advocate Juliet Romeo reached out to Slamdance co-founder Peter Baxter, stressing the need for a program for and by disabled filmmakers. Conversations turned to action and Slamdance Unstoppable was born. In 2021, the virtual Slamdance Film Festival included a showcase of disability-inclusive short films. In 2023, Slamdance Unstoppable, which included both short and feature films, aired both in-person and virtually. This year, all Slamdance Unstoppable films will screen in both Park City and Salt Lake City.

Uplifting and amplifying stories by disabled filmmakers is vital due to the disproportionately low representation of disability in the entertainment industry both in front of and behind the camera. In a recent study by USC Annenberg, only 1.9% of all speaking characters in the top 100 grossing films of 2022 were portrayed as disabled, an incredibly small number compared to the 27% of the U.S. population that is Disabled. By showcasing this collection, the Slamdance Unstoppable block is helping to change these statistics. [continue reading…]