RespectAbility

RespectAbility is an American nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to empowerment and self-advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Its official mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities for people with disabilities. Started by one-time political consultant Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi and philanthropists Donn Weinberg (its founding chairperson, from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation) and Shelly Cohen in 2013. Its chairperson is Steve Bartlett, who was a principal coauthor of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. RespectAbility is currently headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

The organization was recognized for its innovation by Slingshot.[1] It is also recognized by Guide Star at the Platinum level for its inclusion, transparency and excellence.[2]

In 2017, a flag was flown over the United States Capitol in honor of RespectAbility's work on behalf of Americans with disabilities.

On June 3, 2018 the Maryland General Assembly gave an Official Citation to RespectAbility for its dedication and commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities.

Sulam presented RespectAbility with the Advocacy Leadership Award in June 2018.

Education and employment for persons with disabilities

RespectAbility is working to expand education and employment opportunities for people with disabilities and its president, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, has published hundreds of articles on disability issues. On C-SPAN she outlined many of their goals.[3] RespectAbility has worked with 46 governors to help advance and realign state programs to help people with disabilities obtain competitive, integrated employment opportunities.[4] RespectAbility has provided testimony on disability employment in all 50 states and at the federal level.[5]

One of RespectAbility's main projects focuses on employment for people with disabilities in Long Beach, California. In November 2017, a resource guide[6] was published on resources for people with disabilities in Long Beach.[7] This was made possible by Long Beach Community Foundation and a grant from the Knight Foundation.[8]

Disabled Persons in media and movies

RespectAbility is working to change the narrative in Hollywood to ensure accurate and positive media portrayals of people with disabilities. RespectAbility is working with several partners within the entertainment industry on the full inclusion of people with disabilities, both in front and behind the camera.[9]

Born This Way, which recently won an Emmy for best Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program in 2017,[10] stars seven diverse young adults with Down syndrome as they deal with issues around employment, independent living, education and romance. The show was created by RespectAbility board member Jonathan Murray. It was launched at an event on Capitol Hill hosted by RespectAbility along with Congressman Brad Sherman and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Murray was recognized for this and other inclusion work by Variety.[11]

National Leadership Program

The National Leadership Program, funded by the Ford Foundation, is a fellowship program which enables individuals with and without disabilities to gain experience in policy, development, fundraising, publicity and general political discourse surrounding individuals with disabilities and their integration into the community.[12] The fellowship program is divided into four categories:

  • Public Policy and Employment[13]
  • Communications and Stigma[14]
  • Program Development and Fundrasing[15]
  • Faith Inclusion[16]

Criminal justice reform

RespectAbility created a white paper that showed that youth and adults with disabilities are at special risk for the school-to-prison pipeline. Their publication, Disability & Criminal Justice Reform: Keys to Success[17] and was featured on PBS NewsHour.[18]

Political outreach and advocacy

RespectAbility is the parent organization for www.TheRespectAbilityReport.org, which covers the intersection of politics and public policy. It covered all the presidential candidates in the 2016 presidential campaign. Their political advocacy was featured in a segment on the PBS NewsHour,[19] The Diane Rehm Show,[20] page 1 of The New York Times,[21] and page 1 of The Washington Post[22] and NPR,[23] HME News,[24] The Atlantic[25] and other publications.

Controversy

The organization has come under fire due to its CEO Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi's comments about race and the 2016 election. Although Mizrahi was making a highly technical (and probably incorrect) point about what might turn the election in favor of Hillary Clinton, multiple disability rights bloggers objected to Mizrahi's comments.[26][27][28] After Mizrahi's September 21, 2016 comments on her personal Facebook page, the organization stated Mizrahi did not speak for the organization on matters of that type in her personal blog.[26] However, the following day, Mizrahi spoke on behalf of RespectAbility USA when she was quoted on CNN about white disabled voters.[29] In response, RespectAbility issued an apology, which many disabled bloggers felt was a non-apology since she never actually apologized.[30] Later the organization issued a more detailed apology amidst pressure from the disability community.[31]

The Harriet Tubman Collective, have called out RespectAbility and Mizrahi on their social media platforms, for her racism, and appropriation of the work of their members, who are disabled black women.[32]

Events

On August 16, 2017, the organization orchestrated an event called “Diversity, Equity and Equality in Hollywood” alongside Hollywood producer Jonathan Murray, known for his Emmy winning show Born This Way.[33] In conjunction with this, a focus group was held where people joined and talked about existing stigma and perceptions of persons with disabilities among Hollywood decision makers. The focus group was featured in Ability Magazine.[34]

On July 31, 2017, RespectAbility held a summit at Rayburn House on Capitol Hill[35] in Washington, D.C., with speakers focusing on advocating for persons with disabilities in Hollywood.[36][37]

References
  1. "Introducing the Slingshot Class of 2014 – 2015". ejewishphilanthropy.com.
  2. "Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  3. "RespectAbility President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi's Opening Remarks". C-SPAN.org. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  4. "RespectAbility Advances Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities - Cure Medical". Cure Medical. 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  5. "RespectAbility – Public Testimony Submission: The Department of Labor Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive, Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities" (PDF).
  6. "Long Beach Resource Guide" (PDF).
  7. "First-Ever Community Resource Guide for Residents of Long Beach with Disabilities Released - Respect Ability". Respect Ability. 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  8. "Home - Knight Foundation". Knight Foundation. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  9. "Identifying Models of Success - Respect Ability". Respect Ability. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  10. "Born This Way". Television Academy. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  11. Variety Staff (2017-11-01). "Variety's 2017 Inclusion Impact Report". Variety. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  12. "Equal Opportunity Publications - Article Page - Careers & the Disabled". eop.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  13. "Public Policy and Employment Fellowship - Respect Ability". Respect Ability. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  14. "Communications and Stigma Fellowship - Respect Ability". Respect Ability. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  15. "Program Development / Fundraising Fellowship - Respect Ability". Respect Ability. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  16. "Faith Inclusion Fellowship - Respect Ability". Respect Ability. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  17. "Disability and Criminal Justice Reform: Keys to Success". Respect Ability. 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  18. "Prisoners with disabilities lack 'scaffolding for success'". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  19. "What the candidates offer to Americans with disabilities, a growing voting bloc". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  20. "The Americans With Disabilities Act 25 Years Later - Diane Rehm". Diane Rehm. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  21. Flegenheimer, Matt; Chozick, Amy (2016-09-21). "Hillary Clinton Outlines Vision of More Job Opportunities for People With Disabilities". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  22. Wagner, John; Phillip, Abby (2016-09-21). "Clinton makes an unusual push: To win over disabled people and their families". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  23. "Clinton Puts Focus On 56 Million 'Invisible' Voters With Disabilities". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  24. "Q&A: RespectAbility's Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi | HME News". www.hmenews.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  25. Perry, David M. "A Reporting Project Puts Disabilities on the Political Agenda". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  26. Intersectional Justice: Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi's Post on White Voters and Disability
  27. RespectAbility, Class and Race Privilege, and Leveling the Erring Field
  28. "What's The Problem?". Disability Thinking.
  29. Dan Merica. "Clinton ignores Trump, delivers speech on helping disabled". CNN.
  30. "Public Apology - Respect Ability". Respect Ability. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  31. Blahovec, Sarah (2016-09-26). "An Open Letter To The Disability Organization RespectAbility On Racism And Apologies". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  32. "Harriet Tubman Collective". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  33. "Diversity, Equity and Equality in Hollywood Breakfast". Respect Ability. 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  34. "ABILITY Magazine - Focus Group — A Candid Look at Disability Inclusion". ABILITY Magazine. 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  35. "Disability Advocates Stage Capitol Hill Summit on Hollywood Inclusion". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  36. Alive, MNI. ""Empire" Casting Director Leah Daniels-Butler Confirmed to Speak at RespectAbility Summit". www.mnialive.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  37. "Wharton Club Of DC". www.whartondc.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
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