Disability Rights Fund’s Post

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first Lead Different webinar with Darian Gambrell! We will be posting the full recording of the webinar at the beginning of August. We are pleased to announce Andy Imparato as our next guest for the Lead Different webinar series! - Date: August 16, 2024 - Time: 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM EST Andy Imparato is a distinguished disability rights lawyer and policy professional with over 30 years of experience in advancing policies and practices to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Andy's work is deeply informed by his lived experience with bipolar disorder. As the executive director of Disability Rights California, Andy oversees a $46 million legal services and policy advocacy organization with 26 offices across the state. Since 2016, he has been instrumental in planning four international summits on disability employment, attracting participation from over 40 countries. Andy has also served as an advisor on disability inclusion and accessibility to major employers, including Walmart, Verizon, AT&T, Microsoft, IBM, Walgreens, and SAP. Join us on August 16th to hear Andy share his insights on disability rights, his leadership journey, and the impact of his advocacy work. Don't miss this chance to learn from a leader who has dedicated his career to driving positive change in the disability community. Open to anyone! To register, visit: https://lnkd.in/en46CjFe #LeadDifferent #Webinar #AndyImparato #InniveeStrategies [Image Description: The image promotes a webinar featuring Andy Imparato, Ex. Director of Disability Rights California. The background is dark blue with dotted patterns. Text at the top reads, "FEATURING: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DISABILITY RIGHTS CALIFORNIA ANDY IMPARATO." The webinar is on Aug 16, 2024, from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM EST. A circular photo of Andy Imparato is on the right. Below the details is a blue "REGISTER" button with a hand cursor icon. The bottom text states, "LIVE ON ZOOM - INTERPRETED/VOICED & CAPTIONED - OPEN TO EVERYONE." At the bottom, "Innivee Strategies" and "LEAD DIFFERENT" are displayed. End of Image Description]

Nova Scotia's Community Services Department is in the midst of a major hiring drive as it works to overhaul services for people with disabilities in an effort to help them find living arrangements and thrive in the community. The 2024-25 provincial budget tabled by the Tory government last week shows an increase of 128 funded full-time staff for the disability support program. The program's executive director said about 70 of those are people moving from other parts of government while the rest are new jobs. The increase is in addition to 77 new positions approved last year for the department in connection with a human rights settlement intended to end discrimination against people with #disabilities . Maria Medioli, CPA, RSW said job postings are out now for senior level positions, with more job ads to follow. Medioli said the aim is to have all of the positions filled this year. "There's a lot of interest in these new jobs because it's a new way of delivering service," she said in a recent interview. Premier apologizes to people with disabilities for 'historic, #systemic #discriminations ' The move follows a protracted legal battle based on people with disabilities being forced to live in institutionalized settings because there have not been enough spaces and support for them to live in the community. It includes a five-year plan to close all institutionalized care and get people into new, supportive living situations. That plan, which was developed by two experts and accepted by the Disability Rights Coalition and provincial government last year, recommended that three-quarters of the 870 people in institutions be moved into housing in communities by 2025 and that large facilities be closed by 2028. Medioli said the majority of the new jobs would be working directly with people with disabilities to ensure they have what they need to live a good life in community as this process plays out. #novascotia #community #disabilityservices Listen Up #ontariocanada !!!!

Survey: Amplifying Young Voices in #Disability #Rights #Advocacy This survey is part of a research project for the Year of Youth 2023 to 2024 being carried out by the Commonwealth Children and Youth Disability Network, Include Me TOO, the Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities and The Commonwealth The purpose of this survey is to learn and share more about young people with disabilities aged between 13 to 35 years and their experiences and access to #participation #representation and #leadership in Disability Rights Advocacy Spaces and Public Decision-Making Processes. Young People with disabilities Voice Matters! ♿️ Share personal experiences in participating in disability rights advocacy spaces and in decision-making processes. ♿️ Being heard and included on the issues important to young people with disabilities and any challenges in participating and advocating. Survey Link https://lnkd.in/eT8Jq9T7? 📆 Closing date to send your responses: 28th June 2024 at 11:59pm GMT. The findings aim to inform and improve the experiences, capacity and access of young people with disabilities participation, representation and leadership, in their roles as disability rights advocates and their inclusion in decisions that affect their lives. If you have any questions you can email CCYDN@includemetoo.org.uk #YearOfYouth #ParticpationMatters #DisabilityMatters #YouthLeadership #YouthAdvocacy #YouthDisabilityRights Jonathan Andrews MUniv Puneet Singh Singhal Neha Arora Suren Warshamana Gayani Dissanayake Jahirul Islam Innocent Habimfura Legassu Leulseged Rejaul Siddiquee Gopal Mitra Vibhu Sharma Anne Wafula Strike MBE, PLY Elham Youssefian Sania H. Shrutilata Singh Celia Chartres-Aris (née Hensman) Sabina Moce Isaac Harvey MBE Kamran Mallick Sylvain OBEDI K Maitri Shah Janith Ittapana Martina Orsander Sebastian M Flores A. Elizabeth Jessop CA Bernard Chiira Image description: Orange background with title of survey, aim of survey and link to complete online. On right side a illustrated image of disabled persons coming together in a community with a backdrop of buildings.

What can we do to improve this? This is about the foundation of being authentic to ensure representation of focus on customers with disabilities and hiring people with disabilities to be on your team or organization. The Disability Market is a $1.9 Trillion Opportunity. Those who are ‘late to the party’ won’t reap the same huge benefits. https://lnkd.in/e-FmZq7k #authenticity #disabilityawareness #disabilityinclusion #disabilityventureinvestment #disabilityempowerment #financialinclusion

Share a list of books and resources on disability rights advocacy. Here's a curated list of key books and resources on disability rights advocacy that can provide you with valuable insights and deepen your understanding of the field: •"Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment" - This book offers a broad and comprehensive look at the international disability rights movement, encouraging readers to reconsider many assumptions about disability in relation to human rights (Meriah Nichols). •"Waist-High in the World: A Life Among the Nondisabled" - A memoir that provides a poignant and candid look at life with a disability, offering personal insights into the experiences of being a parent with a disability (Meriah Nichols). •"Disability Rights Advocacy Online: Voice, Empowerment and Global Connectivity"- This book examines how disability rights advocates in the UK and US have used new media technologies, offering an original perspective on the relationship between disability and the internet (Routledge). • "The Disability Studies Reader" - A comprehensive overview of disability studies, this book covers various aspects of the field, including cultural studies, literary criticism, sociology, and more (Meriah Nichols). • Additionally, the website Disability Resources offers a wealth of information on advocacy, including key organizations, legislative alerts, and resources for engaging in disability rights advocacy (Disability Resources). • Task for the Audience: Choose one of the books or visit the Disability Resources website to explore their offerings. After engaging with the material, share an insight or learning that stood out to you with your network or in a discussion group. This can help spread awareness and foster a deeper understanding of disability rights and advocacy.

New Post: Why media urgently needs awareness and sensitisation on disability representation - https://lnkd.in/gT6qb_W4 Recently a huge controversy erupted on social media with disability rights activists and advocates calling out the ableist and ageist cover of the July 6th issue of The Economist. The cover had the image of a walker with the seal of the President of the United States affixed to it, with the punchline: “No Way to Run a Country.” Needless to say, it was in poor taste and totally reprehensible in the wrongful portrayal of assistive aids as representative of the unsuitability of a user for an office of importance. On the contrary, mobility aids and assistive devices are symbolic of the power and freedom they provide a user. I can personally vouch for them as a user of motorised wheelchair and hearing aids. This incident is not an isolated one though. Rather, it is the larger malaise of lack of awareness and empathy plaguing the media. The Economist cover caught the attention probably because of the global stature of the publication, and the maturer disability rights movements in the west. Closer home, the use of a feeble old woman in a wheelchair to portray economic instability or the use of phrases like “wheelchair bound”, “specially abled”, “differently-abled” and “mentally-challenged” go undetected. There is no excuse for laziness in the media space. As powerful entities, media significantly shape public opinion, influence societal norms, and drive social change. As the fourth estate, it is the custodian of the narratives it sets because for most citizens it is the first and the only source of learning and knowledge, especially in a developing country like ours. I remember how growing up we were encouraged to read the newspaper for current affairs and even to learn the English language. In school, we were assigned newspaper reading as a task for class quiz.  This level of trust in the media assigns certain responsibilities to it. Primarily that it sets the right tone through its content. Recently, the Supreme Court of India issued landmark guidelines to prevent stereotyping and discrimination against people with disabilities in the visual media. Although these guidelines primarily apply to the visual media, the extensive reach and impact of mass media makes it incumbent upon all media organizations to foster a culture of inclusivity and understanding within their own operations.  Adopting an inclusive lens when reporting on persons with disabilities involves setting your own organization on the path to inclusion first. Conducting sensitisation and awareness programs for employees and stakeholders is a critical step in achieving inclusion.  Walk the talk with awareness programs To talk about inclusion, you first need

Disability Rights are Human Rights! Across society, it is people’s lack of awareness, lack of knowledge, their attitudes and behaviours towards the rights and needs of persons with disabilities, that creates the greatest barrier to access, to equal participation, and to living a dignified, fulfilled and meaningful life. Our objective is to educate and advocate for change. We Believe that Together, We Can Enable Inclusive, Equitable and Dignified Access for all. Your Voice Matters. Support DiSA. Support Inclusive Access. Visit disabilityinfosa.co.za to find out what you can do. #DisabilityRightsAwareness #DisabilityRightsAreHumanRights #disabilityinfosa #disa #disabilityrights #disabilityservices #disabilityresources #disabilitysupport #RightToAccess #righttoinclusion Martin Mabitsela Nomfundo Molemohi Thys Walters Wynand Haywood Annelise de Bruin Bouwer, Renette Cindy Wiggett-Barnard Image Description: At the top of the page, white text on primary blue: You have the Right! Below that, white text on a dark blue stripe: Vote Yes To Access Full width image of a young boy in a wheelchair, back to the camera, looking towards a playground, where kids are playing. On the image, black text on a gold stripe: If this was your child. Would you fight for their rights? Below that, white text on dark blue stripe, Disability Rights Are Human Rights! I am a Human First! At the bottom of the page, large white text on dark blue, Vote Disability Rights.  

Home Depot Partners with Disability Community to Enhance Employment Access The Home Depot is leading the way in inclusive hiring! In collaboration with The Arc of the United States, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), and Equip for Equality (EFE), The Home Depot is enhancing employment access for job seekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Research shows that companies employing people with disabilities outperform others and have higher employee retention rates. Yet, 85% of people with IDD remain unemployed. This partnership aims to change that, paving the way for true equity and respect in the workplace. Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc of the United States states, "This proactive approach marks a pivotal step forward, dismantling employment obstacles and fostering meaningful careers for people with IDD." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/etXk6hKc #TheHomeDepot #EmploymentEquality #WorkplaceInclusion

The Power of United Voices   Every year, we observe a recurring cycle of disability awareness campaigns that raise awareness and mark the achievements of disabled communities. In March alone, we celebrate World Hearing Day, Neurodiversity Celebration Week, World Down Syndrome Day, and World Purple Day. While these spotlights play a crucial role in increasing the visibility of specific issues, their true power lies in catalyzing broader systemic change.   The progress achieved in disability rights over the past 50 years owes much to tireless activism efforts led by impacted communities. Companies like Purple Space or The Valuable 500 have been at the forefront of driving change. Moving forward, allies have a vital role to play in sustaining this momentum and driving lasting cultural change. By amplifying disabled voices and advocating for inclusive policies, we can build a more equitable and accessible society for all.   Read the full Forbes article by Caroline Casey here: https://lnkd.in/eRjFkXqN #DisabilityInclusion #GlobalAwareness #SystemicChange

How Kathy Martinez's path has unfolded ⬇️ Birth: Kathy was born blind, marking the beginning of her unique journey. Childhood: She grew up in a large Latino family as the middle child among six siblings. Her parents, part of the working-class, decided to send her to public schools instead of a school for the blind. She says her school years with sighted peers played a crucial role in her personal and social development. 1970s and 1980s: She became actively involved in various social and civic movements, starting with the farmworkers' movement inspired by Cesar Chavez, and later branching into the women's and gay rights movements. This period marked her growing engagement with the disability rights movement. Early Work: At 18, she started her career in a lock factory. This experience strengthened her commitment to advocating for the employment rights and capabilities of disabled individuals. Career in Advocacy and Leadership: 1️⃣ Led the World Institute on Disability, contributing significantly to the advancement of disability rights. 2️⃣ Served as an Assistant Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama, focusing on disability employment issues. 3️⃣ Worked at Wells Fargo, overseeing disability initiatives and further championing workplace inclusion. 4️⃣ Joined the disability rights law firm Disability Rights Advocates, continuing her advocacy for legal rights and protections for people with disabilities. 5️⃣ In October 2022 she took on a leadership role at Expedia to lead disability work. Click the link in comments for the full episode. She shared how everyone is the workplace is accommodated and why you should hire more people with disabilities. #HR #humanresources #podcast #HRpodcast #peopleleader #peopleteam #peopleops #peopleoperations #headofpeople #headofhr #vpofpeople #vphr #CHRO #chiefpeopleofficer