RespectAbility is working to help philanthropists and nonprofits ensure that people with disabilities can participate in the good they do – just like anyone else. We partner with leaders, funders, nonprofits and others to provide tools, contacts and advice that will advance full inclusion of people with disabilities. Now, we are inviting new partners to help move the needle forward on four core issues: 1) diversity, equity, equality and inclusion in philanthropy and nonprofits; 2) sharing best practices that can prevent the school-to-prison pipeline, homelessness, trafficking and other negative outcomes that disproportionally impact people with disabilities; 3) the employment of people with disabilities in philanthropy and nonprofits and beyond; and 4) enabling the nonprofit sector to experience the success that “nothing about us without us” policies bring when diverse people of all abilities bring their innovation, loyalty, enthusiasm, lived experience and skills to their involvement as volunteers, board members and more.
Through work with our partners, including disability experts and self-advocates, we support professionals and lay leaders alike. Our focus is on the importance of diverse disability inclusion, accessibility, acceptance and the use of best practices. This collaborative work is propelled forward through RespectAbility’s educational tools, which include fact sheets, contacts and customized training.
RespectAbility is philanthropy and nonprofits’ partner for:
- Setting the bar higher in welcoming, respecting and including diverse people with disabilities.
- Learning and implementing best practices that can enable people with disabilities to get the education, skills, contacts and jobs needed for a better future.
- Helping established voices and a new generation of practitioners and leaders reach new heights by ensuring that the 1-in-5 people with disabilities can fully participate in, propel and benefit from their work.
- Acquiring facts, resources and contacts needed to advance dignity for all.
- Understanding disability etiquette and ensuring disability is not viewed through a “pity lens” when most people with a disability want a “hand up” rather than a “hand out.”
- Updating lexicons, images and practices to ensure that organizations are culturally sensitive to all people with disabilities domestically and abroad.
- Providing technical assistance so that funders and nonprofits do not unintentionally discriminate against people with disabilities through such things as videos that don’t have captions or events that are inaccessible.
- Advising on how to make social media posts and websites screen reader accessible to people who are vision impaired/blind.
- Delivering free and impactful assistance that advance the inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities.
- Helping in using non-discriminatory or insensitive language in all communications.
- Using questions on grant applications that help potential grantees evaluate their program’s accessibility for people with disabilities.
- Identifying the diverse talent needed to reflect the fact that 56 million people in the United States and more than one-billion people worldwide living with disabilities.
For More Information:
Reach out to Franklin Anderson at FranklinA@RespectAbility.org.
