RespectAbility Entertainment Media Fellow Steven McCoy with Whoopi Goldberg

Speaking prior to the ReelAbilities Film Festival’s opening night ceremony, Whoopi Goldberg shared profound insights into her journey with dyslexia, emphasizing how she reframed her challenges as strengths rather than limitations.

“For me, it’s never been a source of shame,” Goldberg said in an interview with RespectAbility on the red carpet. “It was frustrating because they placed me in classes where I struggled due to the way my brain processes information. However, my memory for details and the ability to recall conversations from years ago are my gifts. I see them as my superpowers.”

Her perspective on self-acceptance and empowerment deeply resonated with me, especially as someone who has grappled with insecurities and self-expression. I expressed my personal gratitude to Goldberg for redefining conventional standards of beauty. Goldberg’s confidence in her own beauty left a lasting impact on me.

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Jessica Hetzel and Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt

At an event at the Jewish Community Center in Detroit on March 10, Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt, a writer, consultant, actress, speaker, and advocate for disability and autism representation, discussed her story and her work on the Broadway musical “How to Dance in Ohio.” The event, organized by The J’s Opening the Doors program, was in celebration of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM).

Ava identifies as a Chinese, transracial, Jewish, autistic adoptee. She shared her experiences of intersectional identities and how that affected her career in the entertainment industry. In Ava’s speech, she briefly touched on her experience of being diagnosed and how she managed it. Ava’s discussion of her multiple identities left the audience with a lasting impression of the importance of inclusion and belonging among various communities. [continue reading…]

Frank Liang

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal assistance program that provides financial help to low-income disabled individuals and those older than 65. SSI was created after President Richard Nixon signed the Social Security Amendments of 1972 and officially went into effect in 1974. The amount an individual receives depends on their level of income and the resources they have available, such as money in their bank accounts.

Although SSI does help many people who are disabled or elderly, it puts a stranglehold on their economic and professional advancement. Individuals who receive SSI are not allowed to have more than $2,000 in assets at any given time. If two people who receive SSI get married, instead of them each being allowed to have $2,000 in assets, they as a couple are only allowed to have $3,000 combined. This puts a strain on many people’s livelihoods, and makes it more difficult for people wanting to transition out of SSI, save money, or get married.

When SSI was first passed in 1974, the original asset limits were $1,500 for individuals and $2,000 for couples. They increased to the current limits in 1989 and have not changed since. Thanks to inflation, everything from housing to food has gotten more expensive in the past 35 years, and so these limits make it difficult for people like me to save money and live independently. [continue reading…]

Millions of low-income people with disabilities and older adults receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) each month. For these recipients, SSI is a vital source of income that pays for rent, food, transportation, and other living expenses. However, people who receive SSI are trapped in a cycle of enforced poverty. To receive SSI, an individual may have no more than $2,000 in savings at any given time. If a person works part-time or sporadically, their income plus SSI benefits may easily put them over the $2,000 asset limit. This disincentivizes working and saving money.  If two people who both receive SSI get married, they are not each allowed to have $2,000 in assets; they are only allowed to have $3,000 between them. This is known as the “marriage penalty,” because it prevents many couples who receive SSI from getting married. The extremely low asset limits prevent low-income people with disabilities and older adults from working, saving, and getting married.

The bipartisan SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would increase the SSI asset limits from $2,000 to $10,000 for unmarried individuals and eliminates the marriage penalty by allowing two SSI recipients to get married and have up to $20,000 in assets as a couple. The bill also requires asset limits to be adjusted yearly to keep up with the cost of living.

How can you help?

In our efforts to ensure that this bill passes through Congress, please contact your Senators and your Member of the House of Representatives to encourage them to sponsor the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act. Every call and every voice make a difference!

Thirty years have passed since the publication of Nancy Eiesland’s book “The Disabled God,” a pivotal work in Christian Disability Theology that envisions the resurrected Jesus as divinely disabled. Eiesland makes our bodies the starting point, encouraging us to live in relationship with our incarnational God who created disabled bodies in Their image and who desires for us to do what we can while listening to our body-mind-spirit’s limitations. As we approach Easter, let us wonder together about why the resurrected Jesus is disabled and what implications this good news has for our life together in community.

As a congenitally disabled person working in the United Methodist Church, I find in John 20 the most promising verse for disability justice. Here we observe the resurrected Jesus telling his disciple Thomas to put his finger on Jesus’ wounds and to put his hand into Jesus’ side. Jesus doesn’t just have the scars of crucifixion but remains disabled in his most sacred resurrected form. The Christian God feeds bodies, washes bodies, loves and is loved by bodies. In Jesus, our God knows what it is like to have a body, which necessarily means that our God knows what it is like to have aches and pains, hunger and thirst, desires and needs. Throughout the gospels Jesus cares for bodies – not perfect bodies, all bodies. [continue reading…]

This week, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced RespectAbility as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States.

RespectAbility is a diverse, cross-disability, and disability-led nonprofit organization that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, and that advances policies and practices that empower disabled people to have a better future. RespectAbility’s mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.

“This generous contribution from Yield Giving will enhance our ability to achieve systemic change and foster inclusion across sectors,” said Ariel Simms, President and CEO of RespectAbility. “We will be able to leverage this support to expand our reach and impact, advancing more opportunities for our community, developing future generations of disabled leaders, and creating greater shifts in societal attitudes toward disability.” [continue reading…]

“UNSEEN” is a moving and insightful film that offers a window into the life of Pedro, a blind undocumented immigrant navigating the challenges and triumphs of daily life with grace and resilience. The powerful disability rights documentary opens with Pedro candidly documenting his day, providing a glimpse into the world of a blind person and the interactions he encounters while accompanied by his service animal.

One of the standout aspects of the film is Pedro’s openness and willingness to engage with the community, patiently answering questions about his blindness and sharing his experiences. However, as the inquiries become more probing and the humor more intrusive, a sense of vulnerability and discomfort begins to emerge, highlighting the social obstacles faced by many individuals with disabilities. [continue reading…]

Kevin Iannucci, a rising talent in Hollywood, is raising the bar and challenging old stereotypes with his passion for acting and dedication to inclusivity. The 29-year-old Raleigh native’s journey into the world of acting began at the young age of seven with his older sibling’s encouragement.

His hard work has paid off, and Iannucci stars in the recent film “Champions,” which tackles themes of redemption and acceptance. “Movies and TV shows are about life and people, and I think we all need to be included and accepted,” he asserted, advocating for diversity in storytelling. [continue reading…]

The documentary “All You Hear Is Noise” is a film of perseverance. Directed by Ned Castle and Matt Day, the film screened at the Santa Barbara Film Festival earlier this month after first premiering at Tribeca in 2023. “All You Hear Is Noise” follows the journey of three U.S triathletes – Trent Hampton, Melanie Holmes, and Chris Wines – training to compete in the Special Olympics World Games. Viewers gain a glimpse into their personal lives as they train to achieve a goal few achieve.

This documentary takes the audience on an emotional ride as Trent, Melanie, and Chris face daily misconceptions and prejudices hurled at them. They use these to inspire their will to succeed. The support from their families and coaches illustrates the importance of a support system, especially when facing others who say their goal is unattainable. Throughout the film, the trio travel to the United Arab Emirates in search of community and the hopes of reshaping the stereotypes of disabled athletes. [continue reading…]