Fact Sheet: Disability 101
Learn more about the disability community, frameworks to understand disability, and key disability terminology.
Featured Resource
Learn more about the disability community, frameworks to understand disability, and key disability terminology.
We must dismantle the systemic racism and ableism that criminalizes disabled people.
Learn more about Sarah Napoli, the Forum's Learning Services Director, in this blog post about her experiences coming into her disability identity.
How can we prioritize recruiting disabled talent and ensure everyone has the tools they need to thrive?
An example of an introductory staff training on disability inclusion.
Learn from organizations engaging on the disability inclusion learning journey.
A dialogue about the economic disparities that disabled people encounter when trying to find a place to call home.
Learn why philanthropy cannot ignore funding for disability rights and justice.
Applying disability-explicit and race-explicit lenses to philanthropic work is critical to achieving equity and justice.
Learn what is possible when philanthropic leadership centers disability and disabled people.
Insight on how and why website designers should recognize the connections between race and accessibility.
A reminder of why we must recognize how identities overlap when working on making technology truly accessible to all.
A call for organizations to include Deaf and disabled people and prioritize accessibility in all of their technology development, testing, and usage.
A reflection on how we talk about disability and encourages us to reconsider the language we use.
A reflection on economic inequities that disabled people disproportionately experience.
A spotlight on what actions can mitigate the poverty that disabled people experience.
A reflection on opportunities philanthropy has to direct funding toward systemic issues impacting the disability community.
Author Alaina Lavoie explores the ableism of disabled people being valued or devalued based on their ability to work.
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.
Learn more about key statistics that highlight some of the many economic inequities disabled people experience.
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.
Sandy Ho reflects on the ADA as a first step for disability rights and looks ahead to the future.
A deeply honest spotlight on the multitude of ways ableism continues to show up across the philanthropic sector.
A call to use the mechanisms of philanthropy to address inequities, first by acknowledging its roots in ableism.
Learn about concrete actions WITH Foundation is taking to ensure their grantmaking practices are truly accessible and inclusive.
A conversation with Ingrid Tischer about what funders need to know about disability-inclusive grantmaking.
A conversation with Ingrid Tischer about why and how to dismantle the charity model of disability in philanthropy.
A conversation about philanthropy's role in dismantling ableism.
Emily Ladau and Sandy Ho share perspectives on disability rights and justice frameworks as ways for philanthropy to move equality and equity forward.
A call for funders to reconsider existing grantmaking practices that perpetuate oppression.
Insights on what funders must be aware of to truly advance justice through their grantmaking work.
Why it's vital for grantmakers to center people with lived experience in their grantmaking work.
Learn from experts on disability and accessible technology.
Learn from disability advocates serving on participatory grantmaking committees.
by Megan E. Doherty Although disability is a natural part of the human experience, our cultures and institutions—including philanthropy—have long...
by Lane Harwell, Program Officer, Creativity and Free Expression, Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation's Creativity and Free Expression (CFE) program...
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 discusses why it's imperative to include the disability community in grantmaking work that addresses climate change.
Valerie Novack highlights the cause and effect connections between environmental racism and disability.
The most vital component of achieving social justice is centering the leadership and perspectives of marginalized communities. Funders must actively...
The Disability Inclusion Pledge calls upon philanthropy to include education about disability in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training for...
The Disability Inclusion Pledge includes two key actions for event accessibility: To request that an organization provide reasonable accommodations for...
To better understand and learn from disability-inclusive grantmaking practices, foundations can use the following questions both for internal reflection and...
Insights on incorporating a mental health focus within both internal operations and grantmaking practices.
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. In the United States, full and equal participation in society is a...
Powerful insights on rethink our understanding of how to support truly disability-inclusive arts and culture.
As we navigate the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces are continuing to grapple with policies on returning to the office. For...
The process of introductions during group gatherings are an important way to ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible experience for...
by Dr. Zakiya Mabery Many organizations want to foster a sense of psychological safety in the workplace - one that...
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 stop centering whiteness and shift toward centering BIPOC disabled people. Click here for a...
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 within their work and equitably redistribute resources. Click...
Lydia X. Z. Brown addresses the ableism of algorithmic systems and the impact this has on the disability community--especially multi-marginalized...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on gender, sexuality, and disability, Victoria Rodriguez-Roldán calls upon the...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on gender, sexuality, and disability, Leslie Templeton addresses the connections...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on gender, sexuality, and disability, Robin Wilson-Beattie addresses how ableism...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Data shows that people with disabilities typically have low rates of employment...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. One in four American adults have some type of disability, but few...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Words matter. Wherever foundations may be on their journeys to inclusion, questions...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. “Nothing about us without us,” is a guiding principle of the disability...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Adverse effects of climate change disproportionately impact the global population of people...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Successfully advocating for the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQIA+ people requires...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. According to The Missing Billion, disabled people are three times as likely...
Click here for a transcript of this webinar. Disability cuts across all identities, but the impacts of systemic disability discrimination...
Disability is part of human diversity, some of the infinite threads woven through the fabric of our world. Across the...
by Robin Wilson-Beattie Having spent almost 17 years as a parent who has chronic, physical, and mental health disabilities, I’ve...
by Kathy Martinez Recently, I was pleased to participate in a Disability and Philanthropy Forum webinar focused on demographic tracking...
by Chai Feldblum People with disabilities are disproportionately unemployed and underemployed in this country. The unemployment rate in 2020 for...
by Yomi S. Wrong October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to highlight the immeasurable value people...
by Dr. Joseph Stramondo Sir Francis Galton coined the term “eugenics” in 1883 to refer to the belief that the...
Many of the earliest philanthropists in the U.S. were significant ideological and financial supporters of the eugenics movement. According to...
One in five women ages 18 and older are disabled. The United Nations, through their work toward full gender equality,...
Digital downloads are a common way for foundations and organizations to share knowledge and resources. Regardless of whether you are...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum’s webinar on health equity and disability, Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar speaks to...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum’s webinar on health equity and disability, Andrés Gallegos speaks to the...
Emily Ladau, Digital Content & Community Manager for the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, interviews Julie Petty, Project Trainer, Initiatives on...
by D'Arcee Neal When I went for a job interview in the summer of 2015 for a high-powered federal position,...
This guide for funders, created by Open Society Foundations (OSF), a member of the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in...
When it comes to health care, significant disparities abound between people with disabilities and non-disabled people. From physical barriers and...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on racial equity and disability, Taryn Williams discusses the critical...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on racial equity and disability, Conchita Hernández Legorreta speaks to...
In this excerpt from the Disability & Philanthropy Forum's webinar on racial equity and disability, D’Arcee Neal speaks to the...
Creating and sharing resources--Word documents, PDFs, slides, etc.--is a key part of how foundations and organizations communicate about their efforts....
This interview is a Q&A with Nora Phillips, Legal Director, Al Otro Lado. As the alarming impact of COVID-19 on...
As part of a commitment to upholding “Nothing about us without us” and consulting with the disability community, teams may...
This blog post was written collectively by the Ford Foundation's Disability Employee Resource Group. While few Ford staff members have...
Drawn from the Ford Foundation's capacity-building efforts with program staff, this guidance is intended to support grantmakers as they build...
As part of their "Conversations With..." speaker series, which explores high-profile topics with some of today’s most strategic thinkers in...
In 2020, the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy committed to action and through a survey, examined its progress....
The National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) working paper is a starting place of learning for the Disability Inclusion...
Commissioned by the Ford Foundation's Civic Engagement & Government program, the Disability Inclusion Toolkit is written and designed by disability community leaders...
People with disabilities are both the most vulnerable and the most overlooked population when it comes to addressing the effects...
This interview is a Q&A with Cindy Bentley, Executive Director at People First Wisconsin. As the alarming impact of COVID-19...
This interview is a Q&A with Cara Liebowitz, Former Development Coordinator at the National Council on Independent Living. As the...
This interview is a Q&A with Jen Bokoff, Director of Development at the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights...
This interview is a Q&A with Dessa Cosma, Executive Director at Detroit Disability Power. As the alarming impact of COVID-19...
This interview is a Q&A with Bryan O’Malley, Executive Director at CDPAANYS. As the alarming impact of COVID-19 on people...
The Disability Inclusion Fund, housed at Borealis Philanthropy, hired Sandy Ho, a Research Associate at The Lurie Institute for Disability...
by Nikki Brown-Booker, August 2020 I am a Filipino/Black woman with a disability who works in philanthropy. When I enter...
Open Society Foundations (OSF), a member of the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy and a signatory of the...
By Sarah Napoli, Project Officer, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Open Society Foundations, July 2020 When the pandemic hit the globe...
In this webinar, hosted on July 14, 2020 by the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, Adela Ruiz from...
Wondering how to engage in rich conversations with grantees and prospective grantees to understand how they are addressing disability? Want...
How can funders live their values and work toward disability inclusion? This video offers practical insight from disability advocates on...
Go on a journey with disability rights activist Lawrence Carter-Long as your guide in this video overview of the rich history...
Meet Alice Sheppard, a dancer and choreographer who uses a wheelchair. In this video, she encourages us to rethink our...
Meet Claudia Gordon, the first Black Deaf female lawyer in the United States. In this video, she encourages a perspective...
This extended video combines our Introduction and Message to Funders videos for streamlined viewing purposes. It features the perspectives of...
Listen up, funders! The time is now to ensure that disability is no longer relegated to a niche grantmaking area...
Throughout your disability inclusion learning journey, it's vital to listen to the wisdom and insights of the disability community. This...
Disability rights are universal civil rights and human rights, but these rights are not yet fully realized by society. Though...
This introductory resource explains how disability is defined and the "models of disability," or frameworks, that are used to understand...
COVID-19 demonstrates that disability inclusion in philanthropy is more crucial than ever. In this webinar, hosted on April 22, 2020...
This resource offers several starting points for connecting with the disability community on social media. Please note: This list is...
Remember: it takes a journey to achieve truly disability-inclusive grantmaking, and the journey is ongoing. Here's a round-up of insight...
There are many steps to take to catalyze disability-inclusive grantmaking. This guide offer fives key strategies to start. 1. Ask...
In this resource, you'll learn about strategies to bring disability inclusion to your workplace and grantmaking practices. There are many...
A truly disability-inclusive workplace is one that uses accessible technology across the board, from hiring processes to day-to-day operations. To...
This resource offers concrete information on ensuring your online presence is accessible to people with disabilities. Your foundation's online presence...
This resource has easy-to-use, practical resources on how to make meetings and events more inclusive. Now that so many events...
This guide from the Chicago Community Trust, which is geared toward nonprofit organizations, is brimming with resources that foundations can...
This list includes a line-up of robust free resources that employers and human resources (HR) professionals can visit for guidance...
This resource addresses the gaps in disability representation in mainstream media and addresses ways to fill these gaps. Road Map...
This resource seeks to provide tips on rights-affirming language and narratives preferred by people with disabilities. It is a starting...
In this resource, you'll learn about key disability rights laws. While meaningful disability inclusion is about more than just complying...
This resource offers insights and resources to better understand the strong connections between racism and ableism. For our work to...
Celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by learning about the history and intent of the...
In this resource, you'll learn about the origin and definition of disability justice as a movement and framework. Disability Justice...
This introductory resource provides a working definition of ableism along with information to help reflect on ableist practices. Ableism is...
This interview with Ryan Easterly, Executive Director of the WITH Foundation, is part of a series about disability-inclusive grantmaking. The...
This interview with Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, is part of a series about disability-inclusive grantmaking. The...
This interview with Belen Vargas, Former Senior Vice President of the Weingart Foundation, is part of a series about disability-inclusive...
This interview with Myroslava Tataryn, disability rights program officer for the International Human Rights Program at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, is...
This resource offers four disability-inclusive approaches, each accompanied by examples, to inform your foundation's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. For...
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, philanthropy must further the commitment to ensure the disability community is not left behind.
This interview with Northwest Health Foundation's Jen Matheson, Director of Programs, and Laura Nash, Communications Consultant, is part of a...
Written works on disability have shaped the Disability Rights Movement. These selections are helpful and insightful starting points.