This year I was fortunate to bear witness to the transformative work done during Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). One of my favorite events during JDAIM was at Temple Emanuel in Boston. I hit the road from my apartment in New Haven, Connecticut around 6 a.m. to make it for our first [click to continue...]
The Faith Inclusion and Belonging team is pleased to welcome three new apprentices to our team! They will be working on leadership skills and contributing to the growth of the department as we continue to develop our multifaith space. Below, read more about them! Kylee Tyndall Greetings! My name is Kylee Tyndall and I am [click to continue...]
When I was offered the Faith Inclusion and Belonging Associate position at RespectAbility, I felt I was coming home. The intersectionality of faith inclusion and disability is at the heart of my calling, woven through the very fabric of my being. I have lived with dyslexia my whole life (what an ironically hard word to [click to continue...]
I didn’t know what to expect when I met Bobby Silverstein. I had met many great disability icons, but Bobby was sort of a mystery to me, a name that I always knew, but knew very little about. It was thus with some trepidation that I invited him to share an introduction reflecting around 30th [click to continue...]
The holidays can be busy and stressful for many people. The hustle and bustle of decorating, shopping, or for some, being alone or missing a loved one, can be overwhelming. Some push through to the point of not taking care of themselves, while others may withdraw. Everyone copes differently, and there are numerous strategies one [click to continue...]
Grief is a primary feeling for those who have lost someone close. We will go through grief with every single person who has ever loved. Grief is an emotion that can come with loss. People who are grieving may experience complex emotions like feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, anger, sadness, numbness or confusion. In 2017, my [click to continue...]
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all employers, including government entities, faith-based organizations, and employers in both the public and private sector, provide reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Offering and asking for accommodations can be complex. It can be hard for some people to ask for accommodations. It can also be hard to receive [click to continue...]
I always had a goal of working in the disability space but was never quite sure how I was going to achieve it. One night, in December of 2014, I was in my bed contemplating all the things that I desired to do to make an impact in the world around disability. I wanted to [click to continue...]
Discovering that I live with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was a relief! Managing the lives of three kids in three different schools who were involved in different outside of school activities, learning to navigate the special education system and advocacy, and working full time in an outside sales job created such chaos! Trying to [click to continue...]
“Lessons on accessibility – or any kind of advocacy or awareness – can and should never be relegated to just one ‘special’ month. But it’s never too late to start.” Overseeing an organization’s employee newsletter means having almost complete editorial control, which in turn means that you can more or less add in anything you [click to continue...]
