Past Events Archives - Page 4 of 27

Headshots of Franklin Anderson and Ariel Simms. logos for Candid Learning and RespectAbility. Text: Build a more disability-inclusive organization

Candid: Build A More Disability-Inclusive Organization with RespectAbility

RespectAbility is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities. RespectAbility advances policies and practices that empower people with disabilities to have a better future.

In honor of RespectAbility’s tenth anniversary in 2023, we reflected on RespectAbility’s accomplishments and our progress towards our mission to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. We discussed RespectAbility’s history and evolving advocacy. We shared how we hope to change the landscape for the disability community in our next ten years. We highlighted ways that organizations can join the movement and advance on their own journeys to become more accessible, equitable, and inclusive of the disability community and its intersecting identities. [continue reading…]

16th Annual “Virtual” California Disability Advocacy Conference

poster for 16th annual California disability advocacy conference. tagline: discovering the next frontier. virtual on zoom april 25 to april 27. The 16th Annual “VIRTUAL” California Disability Advocacy Conference inspires, educates, and empowers attendees to become advocates for Californians with developmental disabilities. The conference is presented by The Arc of California, Easterseals and United Cerebral Palsy. Each year, the conference features nationally-known speakers who have been trailblazers for promoting policies that improve the disability system, enabling people with IDD to live inclusively in their communities. Attendees include individuals with disabilities, their families and support staff, service providers and regional center employees, governmental officials, educators, and other leaders and advocates within the disability community. We hope each attendee will walk away with a deeper understanding of the current disability system outlook, and a renewed sense of empowerment to design a future together where every person has an opportunity to live their best life.

One of this year’s speakers was RespectAbility Board Member Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda.

Headshots of Katriel Nopoulos Noah Strauss and Shelly Christensen. Text reads ASL Shabbat on TikTok

Shabbat in ASL on TikTok

RespectAbility was pleased to partner with with Katriel Nopoulos, Fellow Noah Strauss, and OneTable to celebrate Shabbat in ASL. Shabbat in ASL featured music, community, storytelling, light, food, and conversation. RespectAbility’s Senior Director of Faith Inclusion, Shelly Christensen, joined Katriel and Noah as we welcomed Shabbat together.

Fireside Chat: Advancing Opportunities for Disabled Individuals

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Advancing opportunities means that we take down barriers to education, employment, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement and create pipelines to enable disabled individuals to lead the lives of their choosing. Watch the recording of this fireside chat and learn from members of our Staff and two of our key partners about our work in this area and our vision for the coming years. [continue reading…]

Headshots of two speakers presenting at the webinar. Text:

Building Relationships and Collaborating with Faith Communities

AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Network and RespectAbility logos. Text: "Webinar Series"

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In the I/DD provider world we often see faith communities as merely the places our clients go for religious services. Faith communities have so much to offer, both to the people we support and to our own organizations. In collaborating with faith communities, our organizations have engaged in mutually beneficial and enriching opportunities to better serve individuals’ spiritual needs. We discussed multiple methods of engagement and provided examples of service, volunteer, employment, and social opportunities. [continue reading…]

WIN Summit 2023: The Future Is Female

WIN Summit is a unique opportunity to develop negotiation skills to better equip women to advocate for themselves and their companies. RespectAbility SVP Lauren Appelbaum moderated the panel “Strength in Authenticity: Negotiating with a Disability.”

Fireside Chat with RespectAbility’s Ollie Cantos and Ariel Simms

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Hear directly from RespectAbility’s President and CEO Ariel Simms and Chairman of the Board of Directors Ollie Cantos, as they celebrate the achievements of RespectAbility’s first decade as an organization, including achievements in developing leaders, changing policy, ensuring authentic representation, and creating more accessible and inclusive communities. They discussed their vision for RespectAbility’s next 10 years and the organization’s renewed efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA).

Learn more about RespectAbility’s 10th Anniversary virtual event series.

Read RespectAbility’s 2022 Annual Report.

Headshots of four speakers for the webinar. Text:

From Assessment to Participation – Supporting Individual Preferences to Find Their Faith Community

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How do you determine ways to support individual spiritual and religious preferences? Evergreen Life Services has developed its own spiritual assessment practice. This presentation described how Evergreen utilizes its successful approach to support an individual’s preferences and participation in their chosen spiritual and religious expressions. The assessments include targeted questions that help create a pathway for providers to support individual religious and spiritual preferences and practices. The presenters from Evergreen shared the stories of peoples’ journeys to belong to their chosen faith communities. [continue reading…]

Q&A: Disney Junior’s Firebuds

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“Cleft Hood,” a new episode of Disney Junior’s hit series “Firebuds”, introduced Castor, a vehicle character born with a cleft hood. The episode was written by Emmy-Award winner Jeremy Shipp and inspired by his own son, Henry, who was born with a cleft lip and palate. Henry also voiced Castor in the episode.

Following a screening of the episode was a Q&A with Jeremy and Henry, as well as “Firebuds” creator/executive producer, Craig Gerber, speaking to the importance of onscreen representation. The conversation was moderated by Lauren Appelbaum from RespectAbility, who advised on the episode.

Presenting the Business Case For Disability Inclusion Within Your Organization

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The passionate advocates of the disability community have long come together to advocate for inclusion in our places of work. Our focus often has been on legal rights, or the inherent justice of our cause. But lately, the business community has come to recognize the economic value of disability inclusion. This webinar equipped internal advocates to make the business case at their place of work, becoming champions of disability inclusion while raising profits and revenue. [continue reading…]