Joy St. Juste with her children

Los Angeles, CA, March 4 – A third-generation Los Angeles native, RespectAbility’s new Marketing and Communications Director Joy St. Juste began her career as a freelance journalist after graduating from Arizona State University. However, after facing a rut in her life, she made a leap of faith and took a job at the English language newspaper, The Guadalajara Reporter. Her time in Mexico was integral to connecting to her roots and key aspects of her identity. I asked her if she connects her Latinidad to her gender in any way:

“There is definitely a throughline there…In connecting with your ancestors.” St. Juste replied. “When I meditate, I never see a man. It’s always like my grandma and my great grandma there, you know? And it’s interesting being a mother of a boy and a girl… Having my daughter, I definitely feel that through line.”

St. Juste explains that being diagnosed with ADHD heavily plays into womanhood in a myriad of ways. She was not diagnosed until she was 37 and this presented its own unique challenges: [continue reading…]

Jewish Family Service & Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley: Disability & Inclusion in our Jewish Community

Jewish Family Service (JFS) of the Lehigh Valley hosted a virtual town hall entitled “Disability and Inclusion in our Jewish Community.” Led by Lily Coltoff, Internal Communications Associate at Hillel International, and Amanda Thomas, Disability Liaison at JFS Lehigh Valley, the program included Lily’s story, disability 101, a brief overview of RespectAbility’s national data on Jewish Disability Inclusion, community discussion, and the creation of an action plan. [continue reading…]

Jewish Disability Advocacy Day (JDAD) 2022 focused on breaking down barriers and making positive change. The two-day virtual event, hosted by the Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA) and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC), featured leaders of partner organizations on panel discussions, emphasized the collective power of the disability community to advance pertinent legislation, and highlighted disability advocacy champions.

The thought-provoking panels focused on barriers to inclusion, breaking down those barriers, and advocating for change. Barriers mentioned in the panel discussions included the lack of accessible transportation, employer misconceptions about employing individuals with disabilities, and the tendency to focus solely on people’s disabilities instead of recognizing their abilities. Panel members also shared tips for successful advocacy, including concentrating on local change, ensuring all resources are accessible, and placing individuals with disabilities in leadership positions. [continue reading…]

Los Angeles, Feb. 28 – In honor of Black History Month, RespectAbility, a diverse, disability-led nonprofit that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, produced a new PSA campaign featuring Black disabled creatives. All month, this PSA has been in rotation on WarnerMedia’s platforms including HBO Max AVOD and others.

The PSA’s message is the importance of building a more inclusive future for the more than 5.5 million Black Americans living with disabilities.

“To me, being Black and disabled means bringing all of my lived experience to the table,” actress and model Tatiana Lee says in the PSA. Lee, who uses a wheelchair, also served as a producer of this PSA.

Actor and comedian Harold Foxx, who is deaf, adds, “We can help others through recognizing their work and then helping them to unite with allies.” [continue reading…]

Matan Koch, Vice President for Workforce, Leadership, and Faith Programs at RespectAbility, hosted emerging Jewish talent and debuted RespectAbility’s Jewish Disability Inclusion Toolkit at the Rising Stars event. Award-winning poet Erika Abbott read a lovely poem, included below, that conveys the theme of JDAIM, and Aaron Seglin sang an original composition. Erika, Aaron, Justin Borses, and Ava Rigelhaupt engaged in a vibrant panel discussion about what Jewish disability inclusion means to them, how Judaism and disability influence their art, and their multifaceted identities. The new Jewish Disability Inclusion Toolkit, released at the event, is a free and valuable resource for all to employ.

(Note: A version of this recording with open captions will be posted by Monday.)

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder of RespectAbility, met with leaders at Tamir to discuss disability inclusion for Jewish community professionals. As explained by Jodi Green, Tamir’s Coordinator of Judaic Outreach and Inclusion, “for nearly 40 years, Tamir has supported people with developmental disabilities and people with autism to live their best life by promoting individuality, independence, dignity, and community inclusion, while embracing Jewish culture and values.” Jennifer shared ten tips to improve disability inclusion and a plethora of resources, including RespectAbility’s new Jewish Disability Inclusion Toolkit. In addition, the group discussed the difficult balance Jewish organizations face between solely serving the Jewish community and maximizing tikkun olam through intersectionality, and the challenges COVID posed to running vocational training programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

(Note: A version of this recording with open captions will be posted by Monday.)

United Jewish Federation of Utah and Utah Women’s Philanthropy hosted Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder of RespectAbility, for a conversation on Jewish disability inclusion. Mizrahi presented ten practical disability inclusion tips for Jewish organizations and shared valuable resources for further learning. During the dynamic Q&A session, the group discussed disability inclusion in religious schools, inclusion vs. integration, disability representation in the entertainment industry, and personal disability-related stories.

Erika Abbott’s JDAIM Poem

My
Jewish
Education
Started
At
3.5
Years
Old
With
Names
Like
Golde
Meir
My
Grandmother
Made
Sure
That
I
Was
“Woke”
To
Israel
And
Her
Enemies
My
Jewish
Education
Continued
To
Flourish
Through
Stories
Around
The
Dinner
Table
Is
Anyone
At
Temple
Shocked
At
Your
Disability
No
I
Am
Not
Your
Mitzvah
The
Object
Of
Your
Haskivenu
I
Am
My
Own
Moses

Los Angeles, Feb. 25 – A prolific musician, actor, and writer, James Ian feels boundless when it comes to disability representation in the arts. Ian considers himself a “truth-seeker” in all his work, looking for authenticity when it comes to expressing himself and his reality.

Ian has been honing his craft since he was a child, when his parents saw the immense joy that music brought into his life: “They enrolled me in piano lessons at the age of five, and from there I have just gone on to cultivate that.”

At the same time, Ian also was working on his acting career. His mother got him his first agent at the age of eight. His performance skills naturally bled into his writing potential.

“Once I started really doing music, I started to write my own songs, short stories, and other things that really got me on that path” Ian said. I’m working on a script right now. I’ve been involved in this since childhood and these things have just grown with love over time.” [continue reading…]

Teren’e Chambers

Los Angeles, CA, February 21 – Teren’e Chambers is a Black Disabled content creator with autism who has a passion for visual storytelling. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Chambers graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Film, Cinema, and Video Studies. Chambers aspires to one day become a director, focusing on pre-production, and own a production studio that will open the door to anyone interested, and be inclusive to everyone regardless of background or status. She plans to turn this passion of hers into a career to uplift others with disabilities and people of color. Everyone’s stories matter!

“Being a filmmaker to me means that I have a vision, a different view of the world, and a creative side,” Chambers said. “I enjoy what I do! I took my hobby to a professional level.” [continue reading…]

Los Angeles, CA, February 18 – RespectAbility is proud to announce that our first Philanthropy Apprentices in the National Leadership Program have completed their training and been directly placed with partner organizations. Thanks to the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ari Katz, Georgia Carr and Alejandra Tristan have brought disability visibility to the philanthropic sector. The National Leadership Program allowed Apprentices to “earn while they learned,” then transition into new jobs. Each apprentice found employment that supported a cause unique to their interests.

“It is vital for diversity programs to include people with disabilities,” said Hon. Steve Bartlett, Chair Emeritus of RespectAbility. Bartlett was lead co-author the Americans with Disabilities Act when he served in Congress. “We have come a long way on disability rights, but we need to ensure that people with disabilities are at all decision-making tables – and that includes in philanthropy. We are grateful to MacArthur for recognizing the importance of full inclusion and access for people with disabilities.” [continue reading…]

Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is in full swing, and we have been partnering on some very exciting events. Keep reading for more information on three of them! [continue reading…]