Past Events

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RespectAbility hosted a conversation with the talent behind the making of Dahlia, a disabled character from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most recent film, Wish. In Wish, a young girl named Asha wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her. Asha is joined by an ensemble led by her best friend, Dahlia, the best baker in town who also happens to use a crutch.

Moderated by RespectAbility’s Lauren Appelbaum, this panel included several key individuals involved with the production of Wish, including story artist Tom Caulfield, producer Juan Pablo Reyes, consultants Erica Mones and Maddy Ullman, and the voice of Dahlia herself, Jennifer Kumiyama. They discussed the making and development of Dahlia’s character, ensuring authenticity in disability representation, and why intersectional representation matters.

Disney’s Wish is now available on digital and Blu-Ray, and will be streaming on Disney+ on April 3. [continue reading…]

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When applying for various labs and fellowships, some applicants may feel compelled to reveal personal details about their lives. This is especially true for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds who may feel pressured to share more information about themselves in their applications and writing. However, it’s important to recognize that not everyone is entitled to your story. In this panel discussion, attendees had the opportunity to learn from a group of experts on how to share some personal details about themselves in a way that feels comfortable without feeling the need to disclose everything about their background.

This event was part of the BRIC Summit Talent & Education Day, which focused on industry career education, educator resources, and acted as an outreach and recruiting day for companies and studios to connect with up-and-coming talent. [continue reading…]

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Our Policy team hosted an informative webinar on how to register to vote and access reliable information on elections and candidates. Attendees had the chance to hear from a panel of experts who shared their insights on how to get involved in campaigns and make a meaningful impact on the political process. [continue reading…]

The J’s Opening the Doors department celebrated Jewish Disability Awareness Acceptance & Inclusion Month (JDAIM) with Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt. Ava is a writer, consultant, actress, speaker and advocate for disability and autism representation in the entertainment industry. Ava was the Autistic Creative Consultant on the Broadway musical, “How to Dance in Ohio,” based on the HBO documentary, which follows 7 Autistic adults, and has written for PBS Kids shows. Ava shared stories about the musical and on her own experiences as a Chinese, transracial, Jewish, autistic adoptee. She spoke surrounded by an art exhibit by the neuro diverse members of Living and Learning Enrichment Center.

Neurodiversity and neurodivergence may feel like buzz words that are thrown around, but what do they mean, and why does it matter? In this session, neurodivergent experts within the media and entertainment industry shared their own perspectives on what it means to be neurodivergent, why authentic representation of neurodivergence is necessary, and how employers, allies, and studio execs can foster and cultivate an inclusive environment where big brain energy can thrive. [continue reading…]

Spoiler alert: disabled people are not your inspiration, and we’re more than just suffering. But why does Hollywood keep telling the same stories over and over again? In this fun, unfiltered conversation, disabled creatives discussed the harmful effects of inspiration porn, a term coined by the late disability activist Stella Young, and how we can strive to tell better stories of disability on-screen. [continue reading…]

In an era where representation matters more than ever, the television industry stands at the forefront of influencing societal perspectives and norms. Attendees heard from panelists who are driving disability inclusion both on and offscreen, as they discussed strategies for success, challenges faced when advocating for inclusivity, and what it takes to achieve greater equity in the television industry. [continue reading…]

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Trauma informed care (TIC) has emerged as an approach for individuals and organizations in response to the growing awareness of the pervasive and long-lasting impact of trauma on health and wellbeing. Since the early 1990s, John Keesler, PhD has been involved with the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities community in various capacities. John’s work is dedicated to peer-reviewed scholarship about trauma informed care and IDD. Simultaneously, he has served in music ministry in different capacities with his faith community for about 30 years. John discussed creating a marriage of Trauma Informed Care and Faith. This webinar was the second in a four-part series from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Religion and Spirituality Interest Network and RespectAbility. [continue reading…]

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In the United States, disabled individuals are over-represented as both victims of crime and as those accused of crimes compared with their non-disabled counterparts, and this overrepresentation is even higher for those with disabilities and other marginalized identities. As a result, it is critical that all professionals working in the criminal legal system understand the rights of individuals with disabilities and know how to support them.

On Thursday, February 29th, from 3:00-4:00pm ET/12:00-1:00pm PT, NACDL and RespectAbility hosted an engaging webinar that included a discussion of the basics of disability etiquette, language, and inclusion, and laid a strong foundation for how legal professionals can better serve individuals with disabilities who are involved with the criminal legal process as victims, witnesses, and defendants. [continue reading…]