Past Events

This event was by invitation only.

If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Appelbaum at laurena@respectability.org or 202-591-0703.

Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Time: The focus group begins at 6:00 p.m. Please plan to arrive by 5:45 p.m. to be seated before the group begins. Dinner will be provided.
Location: Provided with RSVP.
Contact: Lauren Appelbaum, laurena@respectability.org or 202-591-0703

We invite you to watch behind the glass of a focus group that will investigate existing perceptions of people with disabilities among entertainment decision makers. We will work to identify messages and strategies to fight stigma and advance opportunities for people with disabilities in the industry.

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Long Beach Community of Practice Kickoff Event

Date: Monday, August 14th, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: The Pike Long Beach Hyatt at 285 Bay Street, Long Beach, CA 90802
Contact: Philip Kahn-Pauli, philipp@respectability.org or 240-483-4134

On Monday, August 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., we gathered a wide selection of local stakeholders in order to learn about the challenges facing people with disabilities in Long Beach. We met at the Pike Long Beach Hyatt at 285 Bay Street, Long Beach, CA 90802. This was a FREE event and refreshments will be provided.

This was the first of a series of meetings to recruit and empower local leaders to advance new opportunities for education, training, and employment in the community.

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A Special Summit for Congressional and Senate Staff, Journalists and Disability Advocates

This summit, “From Hollywood to Capitol Hill,” features Marc Summers of The Food Network, Casting Director and Producer Leah Daniels-Butler and Tommy Morrissey, the one-arm golfer

Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

July 31, 2017, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

There is no charge to attend this event.

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Five cutting-edge programs for helping youth with all types of disabilities in Israel transition into adulthood

David B. Marcu

Featuring:

David B. Marcu, the CEO of Israel Elwyn

Projects including transitions for employment, for national service, for military service and for volunteering in the community. In addition, Israel’s national self-advocacy program for persons with intellectual and developmental disability will be presented.

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This event is now full. Please contact laurena@respectability.org to be informed of future events.

RespectAbility, a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities, has been working with several partners within the entertainment industry on the full inclusion of people with disabilities – in front and behind the camera.

We would like to invite you to an event specifically for showrunners, creative executives, writers, casting directors, talent agents, actors and others within the creative world of Hollywood at Rep. Brad Sherman’s office on Feb. 21, 2017.

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This event is now full. Contact laurena@respectability.org to be informed of future events.

RespectAbility, a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities, have been working with workforce boards and employers around the country to expand  job and career opportunities for people with disabilities. We would like to invite you to an event specifically for workforce professionals, boards, advocacy organizations, VR experts, self-advocates and other stakeholders and leaders at Rep. Brad Sherman’s office on Feb. 21, 2017.

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This event is now full. Contact laurena@respectability.org to be informed of future events.

The first part of the meeting will be open to philanthropists only. Following this meeting, we will be having two additional meetings – one with stakeholders in Hollywood and one with workforce development stakeholders. You are invited to join us for the entire day:

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A Special Summit for Campaign Consultants, Hill Staff and Disability Leaders Featuring Gov. Jack Markell and Dave Hoppe

America has 56 million people with disabilities. Polls show that the majority of voters either have a disability or a loved one with a disability. Voters with disabilities and their families are up for grabs — and the actions that campaigns take to reach out to these voters can make the difference between winning and losing. Yet far too many campaigns are not reaching this demographic — one-in-five Americans — in a meaningful way.

A summit convened by the nonprofit nonpartisan organization RespectAbility showcased how campaigns, candidates and elected officials can not only reach out to but fully include voters with disabilities. It’s time for candidates to view people with disabilities — the largest minority group in America — as an important voting group like African Americans, soccer moms and the LGBTQ community.

Looking for the resources shared at the conference? View everything on our post: “#PwDsVote Summit Live on C-SPAN 2, Follow Along From Home.”

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New Report Brings to Light the Importance of Including People with Disabilities in Justice Reform Process

Today, there are more than 750,000 Americans with disabilities behind bars.

A new report released June 20, showed, for the first time, that a shocking number of America’s jail and prison inmates have disabilities. The report, released by the advocacy group RespectAbility, used public data previously available but never before assembled and details the large percentages of inmates who have a cognitive, vision, hearing, ambulatory or other type of disability.

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