Read the full proclamation

Richmond, VA, October 1 – “Virginians with disabilities, including veterans, have the ability and desire to seek employment and to develop the skills they need to join Virginia’s economy,” said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam in a proclamation marking October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

This is an important public commitment for the more than 491,000 working-age people living with disabilities in Virginia. In the economic expansion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia had a 43.3 percent disability employment rate. By contrast, people without disabilities had an employment rate of 80 percent. That means that there is a 36.6 percentage point gap in labor force participation rates between people with and without disabilities. [continue reading…]

Read the full proclamation

Denver, CO, October 1 – “People with disabilities make significant contributions to Colorado’s economic and social wellbeing,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis in a proclamation marking October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Gov. Polis also noted that despite their considerable talents, Coloradans with disabilities “face barriers to employment, denying them the opportunity to use their skills and perspectives and depriving employers of the talent they need to grow.” According to Polis, “investment in workforce services is essential.”

This is an important public commitment for the more than 298,000 working-age people living with disabilities in the Centennial State. In the economic expansion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado boasted a 47.2 percent percent disability employment rate. By contrast, people without disabilities had an employment rate of 81.6 percent. That means that there is a 34.3 percentage point gap in labor force participation rates between people with and without disabilities. [continue reading…]

Read the full proclamation

Carson City, NV, October 1 – Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak took the opportunity to publicly celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month this October and to “celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.”

Gov. Sisolak also recommitted his state “to take steps throughout the year to recruit, hire, retain, and advance people with disabilities and work to pursue the goals of opportunity, full participation, economic self-sufficiency, and independent living for people with disabilities.”

This is an important public commitment for the more than 176,000 working-age people living with disabilities in the Silver State. In the economic expansion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada had a 39.3 percent disability employment rate. By contrast, people without disabilities had an employment rate of 77.8 percent. That means that there is a 38.4 percentage point gap in labor force participation rates between people with and without disabilities. [continue reading…]

Olympia, WA, September 24 – In a proclamation marking October as Disability Employment Awareness Month, Washington Governor Jay Inslee made clear his state’s “continued expansion of employment opportunities” and “the greater acceptance of” workers with disabilities “in the competitive labor market.”

The Evergreen State Governor also reiterated that “workplaces welcoming of the talents of all people, including people with disabilities, are a critical part of our efforts to build an inclusive community and strong economy.” Lastly, he asked Washington state to join him in “recognizing the value and talent that people with disabilities add to our workplaces and communities.”

This is an important public commitment for the more than 478,673 working-age Washingtonians living with disabilities. In the economic expansion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington had a 42 percent disability employment rate. By contrast, people without disabilities had an employment rate of 80 percent. That means that there is a 37.4 percentage point gap in labor force participation rates between people with and without disabilities. [continue reading…]

Simchat Torah (which translates to Rejoicing with the Torah in English) is a Jewish holiday which occurs at the end of Sukkot. Filled with music, dancing and beautiful imagery, it is a time of celebration that includes reading the end of Deuteronomy, the beginning of Genesis, and dancing in seven traditional Hakafot (circular dances) each with its own blessing and theme. On such a joyous holiday, no one should feel the pain of exclusion, and so we hope you will consider taking some of these steps to make sure that all can celebrate.

Like any noisy and joyous celebration, Simchat Torah can become extremely overwhelming for those who are Autistic or have auditory or sensory processing disorders. Having a designated quiet room for people to step into and decompress away from all the noise is an excellent option to incorporate. Try to make the room a part of the celebration, a cheerful place to be, without being too loud or visually busy. [continue reading…]

Los Angeles, Sept. 23 – Disability is deeply underrepresented in many industries including entertainment and media, where numbers dwindle far below the 20% participation that would truly reflect the world as it is. Regardless, TV and film have a power to incite social change, drawing in underrepresented creatives as they work to craft a better world. For many, this leaves them with two jobs – to excel at their art and to fight for access for themselves and their communities.

RespectAbility Summer Lab participants recently had the opportunity to speak to experts in the field with lifetimes of experience interfacing their art and advocacy: Leah Meyerhoff, a screenwriter, director, and Founder of Film Fatales; Marci Phillips, VP of Casting at ABC Entertainment; Megan Townsend, Director of Entertainment Research and Analysis at GLAAD; Noriko Louison, Senior Manager of Research and Curriculum at 9Story Media Group; and Victor Pineda, filmmaker and President of World Enabled, and one of RespectAbility’s own Board Members. [continue reading…]

Washington, D.C., Sept. 20 – September is National Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Month. More than 358,000 people live with SCI in the United States, and according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, there are 17,810 new cases each year. Even before the pandemic, only 27 percent of people with SCI were employed 10 years after injury. Yet, some individuals with SCIs are working to change this – from policy to public opinion.

In the area of public policy, Rep. James Langevin paves the way for the disability community in Congress while Randall Duchesneau is making a difference at the US Access Board. Jim Sinocchi works to create more inclusive employment opportunities at JP Morgan Chase and Vincenzo Piscopo works to create change as president of United Spinal. Each is paving the way toward meaningful progress on behalf of people not only with SCIs, but also a wide range of disabilities. [continue reading…]

Ian Malesiewski

Los Angeles, Sept. 20 – Ian Malesiewski, who lives with a Spinal Cord Injury, was a Public Policy and Employment Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Winter and Spring 2021, and he is now off to use his multidimensional academic background with his applied policy change experience to make spheres of influence in politics more inclusive for people with disabilities.

Malesiewski was awarded a full academic scholarship to the University of Miami, where he is majoring in neuroscience and triple minoring in chemistry, public health, and philosophy. His work with disability advocacy shifted his professional aspirations from a traditional med-school route, to one of law. RespectAbility exposed Malesiewski to the impact he can have through policy change, as he worked directly on the accessibility of the 2020 presidential election and relaunching America’s Workforce Act. In his law career, Malesiewski plans on prioritizing the employment gap of people with disabilities and expanding Medicaid and Medicare benefit programs. [continue reading…]

Krista Ramirez-Villatoro

Los Angeles, Sept 19 – For my family, the 15th of September has historically been spent in my parents’ backyard commemorating my father’s birthday with a “churrasco.” In my family, the 15th is not be confused with the 14th, which is what is actually on my father’s birth certificate, because his father was too drunk on the day his son was born to remember if he had arrived that day or the day before.

On this day only, my father goes by the nickname of independencio, because on the same day 2,385 miles away, Guatemala is celebrating their independence from the Spanish empire. The streets are covered in white and blue, and the emergency rooms are full to the brim with injuries from the sheer amount of illegal fireworks. Runners make their way on the cobblestone streets of Antigua lighting the Independence Torches. I, however, have never experienced this in person. [continue reading…]