How Funders Can Help Divert People with Mental Health Disabilities from Contact with the Criminal Legal System
Learn how philanthropy can aid in preventing the overrepresentation of people with mental health conditions in the criminal legal system.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 16 – The Role of Impact Litigation in the Fight for Disability Rights
Rebecca Williford, Esq., President & CEO of Disability Rights Advocates, shines a spotlight on the work of her organization, a national nonprofit disability rights legal center that fights systemic discrimination against people with disabilities through impact litigation.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 15 – Uplifting the LGBTQIA+ Disabled Experience
Gabriel Foster, Co-founder & Executive Director of the Trans Justice Funding Project, shines a spotlight on the importance of centering the leadership of trans people in funding decisions, particularly in relation to intersecting oppressions such as ableism
“Nothing About Us, Without Us” is Beginning to Take Hold in Philanthropy
Emily Harris reflects on her time as the executive director of the Forum and shares stories of the change that is starting to take hold in the philanthropic sector.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 14 – Connections Between Mental Health and Disability
Mental health activist Dior Vargas discusses the role philanthropy can play in supporting mental health, wellness, and self-care.
How Funders Can Increase Disabled Women’s and Birthing People’s Access to Reproductive Healthcare
Author Sarah Katz addresses concrete steps that philanthropy can take to improve access to reproductive healthcare for women and birthing people.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 12 – How Can Philanthropy Help Dismantle Healthcare Inequities?
A conversation with Dr. Bonnie Swenor, Endowed Professor of Disability Health and Justice at The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and Director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center, about the many healthcare inequities that the disability community experiences due to ableism and inaccessibility
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 11 – Reflections on Ableism, Anti-Blackness, and Honoring Black Disabled Ancestors
A conversation between Olivia Williams and Dr. Sami Schalk on the connections between ableism and anti-Blackness, shines a spotlight on historical and contemporary Black disabled activism, and uplifts why it's essential to fund the groundbreaking work of Black disabled folks.
Proposed Census Bureau Changes and the Impact on the Disability Community
Learn more about proposed changes to Census Bureau disability data collection.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 9 – Get to Know the Disability & Philanthropy Forum Team
A fun, insightful conversation with the team members of the Disability & Philanthropy Forum.
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability and Long COVID
Learn about the implications of Long COVID — both for those newly disabled by COVID-19, and those who already live with other disabilities.
We Cannot Achieve Housing Equity Without Accessibility
Dessa Cosma, the Executive Director of Detroit Disability Power, reflects on her experiences with housing inaccessibility and urges policymakers and funders to take action toward a more equitable housing sector.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 6 – Disability-Inclusive Civic Engagement
A conversation with Dom Kelly, Co-Founder, President & CEO of New Disabled South, and Jalyn Radziminski, Founder of Count US IN; Commissioner and Vice Chair for Indiana Disability Rights’ Protection and Advocacy Services, and Director of Engagement at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, on why it's essential to incorporate disability into all civic and political engagement work.
Katherine Pérez: What Funders Need to Know About Disabled Communities of Color
Three essential reminders for funding the work of disabled people of color.
Jennifer Lee: How Disabled and Asian American Communities Form “Parallel Narratives of Resistance”
An exploration of how systemic oppression and persistent anti-Asian violence marginalize disabled Asian Americans.
Heather Watkins: Disabled Black Women and the “Strong Black Woman” Stereotype
An example of how the “Strong Black Woman” stereotype particularly burdens disabled Black women.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 4 – Disability Identity and Pride
A conversation on disability pride with Ryan Easterly, Executive Director of WITH Foundation, and Justice Shorter, a Disability Justice advocate and international advisor for disability inclusive humanitarian and disaster assistance.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 3 – All About Accessibility
A conversation with Taryn Mackenzie Williams, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, on accessibility--what it means, how to implement it, and why it makes the world a just, equitable place.
Disability Inclusion: Required – Episode 2 – Disability 101
A conversation with Maria Town, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, that shines a light on disability and offers insights for wherever you may be on your learning journey.
Day Al-Mohamed: Why Media Created by Disabled Artists is So Important
An explanation of how disability representation in media shapes public perceptions.
Lillie Lainoff: How Writing Can Be a Platform for Representing Disabled Youth
Learn how amplifying disabled voices in literature can lead to dismantling internalized ableism.
Jen White-Johnson: Why Joy Must Be the Center of Disability Narratives
A personal look at ableist stigma in education and how disabled joy can dismantle it.
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability, Policing, and Mass Incarceration
We must dismantle the systemic racism and ableism that criminalizes disabled people.
The Disabled Mindset: Embracing My Disability Identity
Learn more about Sarah Napoli, the Forum's Learning Services Director, in this blog post about her experiences coming into her disability identity.
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability and Housing
A dialogue about the economic disparities that disabled people encounter when trying to find a place to call home.
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability and Lived Experiences of Communities of Color
Applying disability-explicit and race-explicit lenses to philanthropic work is critical to achieving equity and justice.
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability and Leadership
Learn what is possible when philanthropic leadership centers disability and disabled people.
Rebecca Vallas Urges Philanthropy to Address the Widespread Economic Crisis Among Disabled Americans
A reflection on economic inequities that disabled people disproportionately experience.
Mia Ives-Rublee Explains Why Poverty is a Policy Choice
A spotlight on what actions can mitigate the poverty that disabled people experience.
Disabled People Can Be Productive Workers, But That Shouldn’t Determine Our Worth
Author Alaina Lavoie explores the ableism of disabled people being valued or devalued based on their ability to work.
Shifting My Mindset: From Internalizing Ableism to Dismantling It
Learn more about Emily Harris, the Forum's Executive Director, in this blog post about her journey to identifying as disabled and working to dismantle ableism.
Fact Sheet: Disability and Economic Justice
Learn more about key statistics that highlight some of the many economic inequities disabled people experience.
Fact Sheet: Disability 101
Learn more about the disability community, frameworks to understand disability, and key disability terminology.
Black and Disabled: I Have Lived in the Shadows
Learn more about Gail Fuller, the Forum's Program and Communications Director, in this blog post about her experiences as a Black woman with a non-apparent disability.
A Letter to the Americans with Disabilities Act on Its 32nd Birthday
Sandy Ho reflects on the ADA as a first step for disability rights and looks ahead to the future.
Understanding Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking in a Broader Social Justice Context
A conversation with Ingrid Tischer about what funders need to know about disability-inclusive grantmaking.
Dismantling the Charity Model of Disability Within Philanthropy
A conversation with Ingrid Tischer about why and how to dismantle the charity model of disability in philanthropy.
An Ableist Society: How It Shows Up In Our Philanthropic Practices – Unity Summit 2021 Fire Session
A conversation about philanthropy's role in dismantling ableism.
Centering Disability Rights and Justice in Philanthropic Practice – Unity Summit 2021 Fire Session
Emily Ladau and Sandy Ho share perspectives on disability rights and justice frameworks as ways for philanthropy to move equality and equity forward.
Stefanie Lyn Kaufman-Mthimkhulu Asks Philanthropy to Shift How It Chooses to Allocate Funds
A call for funders to reconsider existing grantmaking practices that perpetuate oppression.
Marq Mitchell Offers Guidance on How Funders Can Support Justice for Marginalized Communities
Insights on what funders must be aware of to truly advance justice through their grantmaking work.
Keris Jän Myrick Calls on Philanthropy to Center People with Lived Experience
Why it's vital for grantmakers to center people with lived experience in their grantmaking work.
Journey to Inclusion Series: Participatory Disability Grantmaking
Learn from disability advocates serving on participatory grantmaking committees.
Supporting Disability Inclusion Among Creative Groups
by Lane Harwell, Program Officer, Creativity and Free Expression, Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation's Creativity and Free Expression (CFE) program...
Daphne Frias Celebrates Resilience of Disabled People as an Asset to Fighting Climate Change
Daphne Frias shares her perspective on why the resilience and knowledge of the disability community are vital assets to the work to fight climate change.
Dr. Yolanda Muñoz Urges Climate Justice Funders to Include Disabled People
Dr. Yolanda Muñoz discusses why it's imperative to include the disability community in grantmaking work that addresses climate change.
Valerie Novack Discusses Environmental Racism
Valerie Novack highlights the cause and effect connections between environmental racism and disability.
How to Foster Meaningful Connections with Disability Advocates and Organizations
This resource offer suggested starting points for forging meaningful connections and partnerships with the disability community.
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability and Economic Justice
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. In the United States, full and equal participation in society is a...
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability, Arts, & Culture
Powerful insights on rethink our understanding of how to support truly disability-inclusive arts and culture.
Dr. Joseph Stramondo Addresses the Relationship Between Technology and Disability
Dr. Joseph Stramondo urges a reconsideration of how technology is used in relation to disability, focusing on technology as a...
Dr. Subini Annamma Urges Philanthropy to Center BIPOC Disabled People
Dr. Subini Annamma urges philanthropy to stop centering whiteness and shift toward centering BIPOC disabled people. Click here for a...
Dr. Subini Annamma Addresses the Connection Between Mass Incarceration and Eugenics
Dr. Subini Annamma shares the ways in which mass incarceration is connected to eugenics. She addresses both the disproportionate incarceration...
Lydia X. Z. Brown Calls On Philanthropy to Center Multi-Marginalized Disabled People
Lydia X. Z. Brown calls on philanthropy to center multi-marginalized disabled people within their work and equitably redistribute resources. Click...
Lydia X. Z. Brown Addresses the Ableism of Algorithmic Technologies
Lydia X. Z. Brown addresses the ableism of algorithmic systems and the impact this has on the disability community--especially multi-marginalized...
Victoria Rodriguez-Roldán Addresses the Connections Between LGBTQIA+ and Disability Identities
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on gender, sexuality, and disability, Victoria Rodriguez-Roldán calls upon the...
Leslie Templeton Addresses the Connections Between Disability and Experiences of Sexual Violence
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on gender, sexuality, and disability, Leslie Templeton addresses the connections...
Robin Wilson-Beattie Addresses Ableism and Racism in Reproductive Healthcare
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on gender, sexuality, and disability, Robin Wilson-Beattie addresses how ableism...
Journey to Inclusion Series: Learning from Disability-Led Organizations
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. “Nothing about us without us,” is a guiding principle of the disability...
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Climate Change and Disability
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Adverse effects of climate change disproportionately impact the global population of people...
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Gender, Sexuality, and Disability
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Successfully advocating for the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQIA+ people requires...
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Health Equity and Disability
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. According to The Missing Billion, disabled people are three times as likely...
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Racial Equity and Disability
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Disability cuts across all identities, but the impacts of systemic disability discrimination...
How Philanthropy Can Support Disabled Parents
by Robin Wilson-Beattie Having spent almost 17 years as a parent who has chronic, physical, and mental health disabilities, I’ve...
Eugenics: Historical Practice to Present Day Technology
by Dr. Joseph Stramondo Sir Francis Galton coined the term “eugenics” in 1883 to refer to the belief that the...
Eugenics and Disability
Many of the earliest philanthropists in the U.S. were significant ideological and financial supporters of the eugenics movement. According to...
Connections Between Gender, Sexuality, and Disability
One in five women ages 18 and older are disabled. The United Nations, through their work toward full gender equality,...
Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar Addresses the Need for Disabled Leadership in Research Funding Efforts
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum’s webinar on health equity and disability, Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar speaks to...
Andrés Gallegos Addresses Ableism in the Medical Field
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum’s webinar on health equity and disability, Andrés Gallegos speaks to the...
Anti-Black Racism and Ableism in the Workplace
by D'Arcee NealApril 2021 When I went for a job interview in the summer of 2015 for a high-powered federal...
Connections Between Health Equity and Disability
When it comes to health care, significant disparities abound between people with disabilities and non-disabled people. From physical barriers and...
Taryn Williams Addresses the Need to Work Toward Economic Justice with a Disability-Explicit Lens
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on racial equity and disability, Taryn Williams discusses the critical...
Conchita Hernández Legorreta Addresses How Ableism and Racism Affects Disabled Immigrants
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on racial equity and disability, Conchita Hernández Legorreta speaks to...
D’Arcee Neal Addresses Intersections Between Ableism and Anti-Black Racism
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on racial equity and disability, D’Arcee Neal speaks to the...
Guidance for Foundations on Creating Disability Advisory Groups
As part of a commitment to upholding “Nothing about us without us” and consulting with the disability community, teams may...
Members only
Chicago Community Trust Webinar on Race and Disability
As part of their "Conversations With..." speaker series, which explores high-profile topics with some of today’s most strategic thinkers in...
Connections Between Climate Change and Disability
People with disabilities are both the most vulnerable and the most overlooked population when it comes to addressing the effects...
My Experiences as a Filipino/Black Woman with a Disability in Philanthropy
by Nikki Brown-Booker, August 2020 I am a Filipino/Black woman with a disability who works in philanthropy. When I enter...
Disability History: An Introduction
Go on a journey with disability rights activist Lawrence Carter-Long as your guide in this video overview of the rich history...
Alice Sheppard: Disability as an Art
Meet Alice Sheppard, a dancer and choreographer who uses a wheelchair. In this video, she encourages us to rethink our...
Claudia Gordon: Barriers to Inclusion
Meet Claudia Gordon, the first Black Deaf female lawyer in the United States. In this video, she encourages a perspective...
Disability Inclusion & Philanthropy: An Introduction
Throughout your disability inclusion learning journey, it's vital to listen to the wisdom and insights of the disability community. This...
Disability Rights History: A Brief Introduction
Disability rights are universal civil rights and human rights, but these rights are not yet fully realized by society. Though...
What is Disability?
This introductory resource explains how disability is defined and the "models of disability," or frameworks, that are used to understand...
Webinar – COVID-19 and Disability: A Call to Action for Philanthropy
COVID-19 demonstrates that disability inclusion in philanthropy is more crucial than ever. In this webinar, hosted on April 22, 2020...
Members only
Disability Rights Hashtags and Disability Rights Activists for Grantmakers to Follow
This resource offers several starting points for connecting with the disability community on social media. Please note: This list is...
Road Map for Inclusion: Changing the Face of Disability in Media
This resource addresses the gaps in disability representation in mainstream media and addresses ways to fill these gaps. Road Map...
Know Your Disability Rights Laws
In this resource, you'll learn about key disability rights laws. While meaningful disability inclusion is about more than just complying...
Intersections Between Racism and Ableism
This resource offers insights and resources to better understand the strong connections between racism and ableism. For our work to...
The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Brief Background
Learn about the history and intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), its impact on the disability community, and...
What is Disability Justice?
In this resource, you'll learn about the origin and definition of disability justice as a movement and framework. Disability Justice...
Resources on Disability & COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, philanthropy must further the commitment to ensure the disability community is not left behind.
Members only
Recommended Reading on Disability
Written works on disability have shaped the Disability Rights Movement. These selections are helpful and insightful starting points.