Director Amber Sealey: “It’s so important and crucial that we have all sets be accessible”

When Producer Peter Saraf’s daughter first read Sharon M. Draper’s “Out of My Mind,” she pitched it to him as a movie. Ten years later, “Out of My Mind” premiered at Sundance Film Festival and is now available on Disney+, reaching a new audience with a powerful message of inclusion and acceptance.

“Out of My Mind” is not just a coming-of-age film but an authentic and relatable story for the millions of children and young adults with disabilities. The situations that Melody faces are based on real-life experiences commonly encountered by disabled pre-teens and teenagers, as well as their parents and teachers.

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For tens of thousands of Americans with disabilities, working a full day for less than a dollar an hour is a harsh reality. But it’s one that we have the power to change.

The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA) H.R.1263 and S.533 is a landmark piece of legislation that aims to create a more equitable workforce for people with disabilities. Its primary goal is to end the outdated practice of paying subminimum wages to persons with disabilities through sheltered workshops that operate under Section 14 (c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This provision allows employers to obtain a 14(c) certificate, permitting them to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage.

Sheltered workshops often isolate disabled people from the rest of the workforce. According to a 2023 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, more than half of these workers earn less than $3.50 per hour, with some making as little as $0.25 per hour. This practice affects approximately 42,000 persons with disabilities across the United States. The TCIEA seeks to change this by creating pathways for persons with disabilities to transition into competitive, integrated employment, where they can receive equal pay and access real opportunities for job development, training, and career advancement. [continue reading…]

Companies are constantly trying to reach their target audience through emails, text messages, TV commercials, social media posts, and targeted ads that pop up on our screens. As a society, we are flooded with marketing messages, but what sets inclusive marketing apart?

Inclusive marketing ensures that a brand’s products and services apply to or benefit all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, ability, sexuality, or social class. It begins with recognizing the need to understand and showcase unique and diverse perspectives and it is a way in which businesses and their consumers can connect on a more personal level. It is also crucial to promote social equality. [continue reading…]

Series Production Team Includes Variety of Neurodivergent Writers, Production Staff, Animators, Advisors, and Voice Talent

PBS Kids has a history of ensuring authentic inclusion in its series. Its newest show Carl the Collector not only continues this pattern but elevates it. The 2D animated series, aimed at 4-to-8-year-olds, features Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who enjoys collecting things, and his woodland creature friends including Lotta, a quiet and self-assured fox who is also autistic.

By featuring two autistic characters, viewers can better understand that autistic individuals are not all the same. Carl pays extraordinarily close attention to detail and comes up with unique ideas that others might not consider. His collections help him solve problems. While Carl is sensory seeking, Lotta experiences hypersensitivity to loud sounds, powerful smells, and certain food textures. Lotta also has exceptional talents in art and music. [continue reading…]

Washington, D.C. – Disability Belongs™ is the proud recipient of the 2024 Moxie Award in the nonprofit category. The Moxie Awards recognize organizations that are “innovative, fearless, and willing to embrace risks.”

“I want to congratulate all of the other nominees and winners, and give our sincere thanks to the incredible judges, sponsors, and organizers of this year’s Awards,” said Ariel Simms, President and CEO of Disability Belongs™. “This recognition is even more special to us as we start our next chapter as Disability Belongs™, following an intentional rebranding process to put disability front and center in our name.”

Disability Belongs™ is honored to be recognized for its work transforming the conversation around disability to redefine harmful and ableist narratives that have not only contributed to systemic barriers but to societal isolation and stigmatization. Disability Belongs’ work emphasizes disability not as something to overcome but another part of human diversity. Disability cuts across all demographics and identities and is the one group that anyone can join at any time in their lives. [continue reading…]

When most people think about going to the polls to vote, they aren’t thinking about accessibility. But for the 61 million Americans with disabilities, accessibility is always on their minds.

The Current Landscape

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires state and local governments and elected officials to ensure that people with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote in all elections. However, a study by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) during and after the 2022 elections found that 14% of voters with disabilities – approximately 2.2 million people – experienced difficulties voting. The EAC study concluded that if people with disabilities voted at the same rate as those without, there would be around two million more voters. [continue reading…]

In today’s job market, assembling a diverse and inclusive workforce is more crucial than ever. One effective way for employers to achieve this is by teaming up with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that assist job seekers with disabilities. These partnerships not only improve hiring processes but also uplift local communities by creating better job opportunities for underrepresented groups, as people with disabilities often have trouble finding and keeping meaningful employment.

What is a Talent Partner?

A talent partner is an organization that works alongside employers to help identify, develop, and place job seekers in various roles. Talent partners can include nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies dedicated to making a difference through employment. By collaborating with these organizations, businesses can access a broader range of candidates, which ultimately leads to a more inclusive work environment. [continue reading…]

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When you give birth to your child, the possibility of them being taken away is not something that is typically considered, but parents with disabilities have a higher risk of that chance. About 20% of the children in the American foster care system have parents who have some type of disability. In 1975, a mother’s worst nightmare came true; Celestine Tate Harrington, who was diagnosed with Arthrogryposis Congenita, had her beautiful baby girl taken from her because the Philadelphia Department of Public Welfare deemed her unfit to be a parent after an anonymous call from a concerned neighbor. Her condition left her unable to use her limbs. However, Tate Harrington never let her disability prevent her from providing proper love and care for her children. She used the media to prove to the courts, and the world, that she was more than capable and worthy of motherhood.

Tate Harrington’s life is the latest subject of “American Masters: Renegades,” a documentary series showcasing the lives and cultural contributions of little-known historical figures with disabilities. Each short is 12-minutes long and shines the spotlight on one individual.

Tate Harrington used her lips, teeth, and tongue instead of her hands and feet to perform tasks such as dressing and changing her child, giving her a bottle, and even playing the electric keyboard and writing her own book. [continue reading…]

If the rules aren’t fair for everyone, then we must change them for the better.

“Dancing Rules,” the twenty-fourth episode of PBS Kids’ City Island, calls for the audience to consider how barriers to accessibility violate one of the most sacred values held by children – fairness.

City Island is a series of educational short-form animated videos, set in a city where every object is alive. The series follows Watt (Kimia Bephoornia), a living light-bulb, as he explores his home and helps everyone he meets. [continue reading…]