Past Events

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

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

Film Fatales and RespectAbility hosted 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? This event was a deep dive into a conversation about inclusive casting for both visible and nonvisible disabilities, creating accessible sets, and ensuring authentic authorship. [continue reading…]

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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.

We hosted with RespectAbility Chairman Ollie Cantos and other Board officers. Attendees learned more about the strategic plan and what is next for RespectAbility. [continue reading…]

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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…]

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Learn about a powerful new docuseries that spotlights the untold stories of four entrepreneurs with disabilities. Born For Business gives viewers an insider’s look at what it takes to launch and run a thriving small business. Just as each entrepreneur is on the brink of success, they must navigate the complications that the COVID-19 pandemic presents. [continue reading…]

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In this session, we focused on the way disabled individuals, specifically writers, are making a difference in the entertainment industry.

According to a recent report from Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity (TTIE), “93.0% of writers said their most recent writers room had no Disabled or Deaf writers.” Upper-level Disabled or Deaf writers are even more scarce, with only 2.6% of writers reporting that their most recent writers’ room had at least one upper level Disabled or Deaf writer. Currently, the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East do not yet track employment data by disability status.

The RespectAbility Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities is aiming to change this. To date, 25 of the RespectAbility Lab graduates identify as writers, and several are helping to change this landscape. Lab alumni from 2019 and 2020 currently work in the writers’ rooms for Netflix’s Mech Cadet, CW’s 4400 and Showtime’s Dexter, among others. Of the 30 participants in the 2021 Lab, half of the participants are writers, for both TV and film.

Meet 10 of these writers in this webinar recording: Leo Allanach, Amanda Aguero, Nikki Bailey, Colin Buckingham, Tameka Citchen-Spruce, Bella Cosper, Ty Freedman, Sarah Granger, Juliet Romeo and Hilary Van Hoose. This session was moderated by RespectAbility Lab alumna and 2021 Lab Faculty Advisor Ashley Eakin. [continue reading…]

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As more people get vaccinated and companies begin reopening their offices, it is critical to reflect on key lessons from the past year of Zoom calls and remote work. Watch a special conversation with disability employment expert, business leader, and inclusion innovator Jim Sinocchi. Jim talked about how JPMorgan Chase has reshaped their accessibility efforts, how they deliver accommodations both in the office and remotely, and what opportunities lay ahead for future leaders with disabilities. This fireside chat gave audience members unprecedented access to ask their most burning questions about disability employment and the post-COVID world. [continue reading…]

We hosted an event on July 28 at 10:30 a.m. in Santa Monica discussing how blind and low vision college graduates can join our “earn while you learn” virtual apprenticeship program. We’re looking for talented people with blindness or low vision from California who have an interest in public service, running for office, advocating on Capitol Hill, working at a non-profit foundation or in media to join our one-of-a-kind virtual training program. [continue reading…]

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Throughout the summer, RespectAbility is hosting a variety of events, “ADA @31: A Focus on the Future.” In this session, we focused on the way disabled individuals, specifically directors, are making a difference in the entertainment industry. Just a handful of directors in the Directors Guild of America identify as disabled. The RespectAbility Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities is aiming to change this. Eight of the 30 participants in the 2021 Lab are directors and attendees of this event met six of them: Asha Chai-Chang, Ben Fox, Cashmere Jasmine, Jennifer Valdes, Carmen Vincent and Alaa Zabara! This session was moderated by RespectAbility 2020 Lab alumnus Andrew Reid.

Any questions? Please contact Tatiana Lee at Tatiana.Lee@RespectAbility.org. [continue reading…]

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Although 72 percent of nonprofit organizations say they have a policy of nondiscrimination against people with disabilities, too few take simple steps to make their programming truly accessible. For example, fewer than 60 percent of their events are always held in physically accessible spaces. Fewer than one-third (30 percent) offer opportunities for participants at public events to request accommodations like sign language interpreters, live captioning, or food allergy alternatives. This session gave leaders the information they need to ensure that their practices match their principles so that they can benefit from the talents and perspectives of people with disabilities. [continue reading…]