Resources Archive - Disability & Philanthropy Forum

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Fact Sheet: Disability 101

Learn more about the disability community, frameworks to understand disability, and key disability terminology.

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Rebecca Vallas Urges Philanthropy to Address the Widespread Economic Crisis Among Disabled Americans

A reflection on economic inequities that disabled people disproportionately experience.

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Mia Ives-Rublee Explains Why Poverty is a Policy Choice

A spotlight on what actions can mitigate the poverty that disabled people experience.

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Keith Jones Reflects on How Philanthropy Can Support Disability Economic Justice

A reflection on opportunities philanthropy has to direct funding toward systemic issues impacting the disability community.

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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.

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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.

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Fact Sheet: Disability and Economic Justice

Learn more about key statistics that highlight some of the many economic inequities disabled people experience.

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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.

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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.

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Lydia X.Z. Brown Powerfully Addresses Philanthropy’s Ableist Practices

A deeply honest spotlight on the multitude of ways ableism continues to show up across the philanthropic sector.

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Rebecca Cokley Unpacks Philanthropy’s Ableist History

A call to use the mechanisms of philanthropy to address inequities, first by acknowledging its roots in ableism.

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Ryan Easterly Reflects on the WITH Foundation’s Journey Toward Anti-Ableist Grantmaking

Learn about concrete actions WITH Foundation is taking to ensure their grantmaking practices are truly accessible and inclusive.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Journey to Inclusion Series: Demystifying Accessible Technology

Learn from experts on disability and accessible technology.

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Journey to Inclusion Series: Participatory Disability Grantmaking

Learn from disability advocates serving on participatory grantmaking committees.

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Moving Toward Equity: the Disability Inclusion Pledge

by Megan E. Doherty Although disability is a natural part of the human experience, our cultures and institutions—including philanthropy—have long...

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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...

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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.

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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.

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Valerie Novack Discusses Environmental Racism

Valerie Novack highlights the cause and effect connections between environmental racism and disability.

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How to Foster Meaningful Connections with Disability Advocates and Organizations

The most vital component of achieving social justice is centering the leadership and perspectives of marginalized communities. Funders must actively...

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How to Evaluate a DEI Trainer on Disability Knowledge

The Disability Inclusion Pledge calls upon philanthropy to include education about disability in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training for...

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Sample Accommodations Request Templates

The Disability Inclusion Pledge includes two key actions for event accessibility: To request that an organization provide reasonable accommodations for...

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Guidance for Disability-Inclusive Grants Assessments

To better understand and learn from disability-inclusive grantmaking practices, foundations can use the following questions both for internal reflection and...

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Supporting Mental Health in Philanthropy

Insights on incorporating a mental health focus within both internal operations and grantmaking practices.

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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...

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Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability, Arts, & Culture

Powerful insights on rethink our understanding of how to support truly disability-inclusive arts and culture.

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Fostering Accessible In-Person and Remote Workplaces

As we navigate the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces are continuing to grapple with policies on returning to the office. For...

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How to Make Accessible, Inclusive Self-Introductions

The process of introductions during group gatherings are an important way to ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible experience for...

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How Can We Foster Psychologically Safe Workplaces?

by Dr. Zakiya Mabery Many organizations want to foster a sense of psychological safety in the workplace - one that...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Journey to Inclusion Series: Disability in the Workplace: Human Resources and Employee Participation

Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Data shows that people with disabilities typically have low rates of employment...

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Journey to Inclusion Series: Disability Participation: Demographic Tracking and Self-Identification

Click here for a transcript of this webinar. One in four American adults have some type of disability, but few...

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Journey to Inclusion Series: Disability Language

Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Words matter. Wherever foundations may be on their journeys to inclusion, questions...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Increasing Disability Inclusion by Tracking Participation

Disability is part of human diversity, some of the infinite threads woven through the fabric of our world. Across the...

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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...

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The Importance of, and Strategies for, Encouraging Self-ID of Disability

by Kathy Martinez Recently, I was pleased to participate in a Disability and Philanthropy Forum webinar focused on demographic tracking...

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Moving the Needle on Employing People with Disabilities: What to Know About Collecting Disability Data

by Chai Feldblum People with disabilities are disproportionately unemployed and underemployed in this country. The unemployment rate in 2020 for...

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Shifting Toward Inclusion: Accessible Workplaces in a World Recovering from COVID-19

by Yomi S. Wrong October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to highlight the immeasurable value people...

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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...

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Eugenics and Disability

Many of the earliest philanthropists in the U.S. were significant ideological and financial supporters of the eugenics movement. According to...

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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,...

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A Guide to Document Accessibility

Digital downloads are a common way for foundations and organizations to share knowledge and resources. Regardless of whether you are...

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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...

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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...

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A Conversation about Disability and Language with Julie Petty

Emily Ladau, Digital Content & Community Manager for the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, interviews Julie Petty, Project Trainer, Initiatives on...

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Anti-Black Racism and Ableism in the Workplace

by D'Arcee Neal When I went for a job interview in the summer of 2015 for a high-powered federal position,...

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The Time Is Now: Funding Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Youth Fellowships

This guide for funders, created by Open Society Foundations (OSF), a member of the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Creating Accessible Resources

Creating and sharing resources--Word documents, PDFs, slides, etc.--is a key part of how foundations and organizations communicate about their efforts....

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What Funders Need to Know About Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking: Al Otro Lado

This interview is a Q&A with Nora Phillips, Legal Director, Al Otro Lado. As the alarming impact of COVID-19 on...

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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...

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What does self-disclosing a disability mean?

This blog post was written collectively by the Ford Foundation's Disability Employee Resource Group. While few Ford staff members have...

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Funder Guidance and Case Studies for Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking

Drawn from the Ford Foundation's capacity-building efforts with program staff, this guidance is intended to support grantmakers as they build...

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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...

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Preliminary Disability Inclusion Commitments

In 2020, the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy committed to action and through a survey, examined its progress....

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Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy: A Working Paper for Grantmakers and the Consultants Who Support Their Work

The National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) working paper is a starting place of learning for the Disability Inclusion...

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Disability Inclusion Toolkit

Commissioned by the Ford Foundation's Civic Engagement & Government program, the Disability Inclusion Toolkit is written and designed by disability community leaders...

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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...

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What Funders Need to Know About Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking: People First Wisconsin

This interview is a Q&A with Cindy Bentley, Executive Director at People First Wisconsin. As the alarming impact of COVID-19...

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What Funders Need to Know About Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking: National Council on Independent Living

This interview is a Q&A with Cara Liebowitz, Former Development Coordinator at the National Council on Independent Living. As the...

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What Funders Need to Know About Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking: Disability Rights Fund

This interview is a Q&A with Jen Bokoff, Director of Development at the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights...

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What Funders Need to Know About Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking: Detroit Disability Power

This interview is a Q&A with Dessa Cosma, Executive Director at Detroit Disability Power. As the alarming impact of COVID-19...

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What Funders Need to Know About Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking: CDPAANYS

This interview is a Q&A with Bryan O’Malley, Executive Director at CDPAANYS. As the alarming impact of COVID-19 on people...

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Disability Inclusion Fund Landscape Analysis

The Disability Inclusion Fund, housed at Borealis Philanthropy, hired Sandy Ho, a Research Associate at The Lurie Institute for Disability...

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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...

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Open Society Foundations: Committing to Disability Inclusion

Open Society Foundations (OSF), a member of the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy and a signatory of the...

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Four Ways We Can Work Towards Creating Inclusive Workspaces

By Sarah Napoli, Project Officer, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Open Society Foundations, July 2020 When the pandemic hit the globe...

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Disability Inclusion 101: Getting Started and Tips/Tools for the Journey

In this webinar, hosted on July 14, 2020 by the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, Adela Ruiz from...

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Grantmakers’ Guide for Disability Inclusion

Wondering how to engage in rich conversations with grantees and prospective grantees to understand how they are addressing disability? Want...

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Disability Inclusion & Philanthropy: Living Your Values

How can funders live their values and work toward disability inclusion? This video offers practical insight from disability advocates on...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Disability Inclusion & Philanthropy: What Funders Need to Know

This extended video combines our Introduction and Message to Funders videos for streamlined viewing purposes. It features the perspectives of...

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Disability Inclusion & Philanthropy: A Message to Funders

Listen up, funders! The time is now to ensure that disability is no longer relegated to a niche grantmaking area...

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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...

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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...

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What is Disability?

This introductory resource explains how disability is defined and the "models of disability," or frameworks, that are used to understand...

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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...

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