Fact Sheet: Disability 101
Learn more about the disability community, frameworks to understand disability, and key disability terminology.
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 Representation in the Workplace
How can we prioritize recruiting disabled talent and ensure everyone has the tools they need to thrive?
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability Education: Staff Training
An example of an introductory staff training on disability inclusion.
Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Communicating an Organization-Wide Commitment to Disability Inclusion
Learn from organizations engaging on the disability inclusion learning journey.
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: Grantmaking for Disability: Where are the Dollars?
Learn why philanthropy cannot ignore funding for disability rights and justice.
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.
Tolu Adegbite Highlights the Connections Between Race, Website Design, and Accessibility
Insight on how and why website designers should recognize the connections between race and accessibility.
Tolu Adegbite Emphasizes the Need to Work on Technology Accessibility Through an Intersectional Lens
A reminder of why we must recognize how identities overlap when working on making technology truly accessible to all.
Meryl Evans Encourages Organizations to Prioritize Accessibility
A call for organizations to include Deaf and disabled people and prioritize accessibility in all of their technology development, testing, and usage.
Cara Reedy Flips the Script on Societal Perceptions of Disability
A reflection on how we talk about disability and encourages us to reconsider the language we use.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: Demystifying Accessible Technology
Learn from experts on disability and accessible technology.
Journey to Inclusion Series: Participatory Disability Grantmaking
Learn from disability advocates serving on participatory grantmaking committees.
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...
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
The most vital component of achieving social justice is centering the leadership and perspectives of marginalized communities. Funders must actively...
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...
Sample Accommodations Request Templates
The Disability Inclusion Pledge includes two key actions for event accessibility: To request that an organization provide reasonable accommodations for...
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...
Supporting Mental Health in Philanthropy
Insights on incorporating a mental health focus within both internal operations and grantmaking practices.
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.
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...
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...
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...
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: 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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: 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...
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...
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...
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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...
Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking in Action
Remember: it takes a journey to achieve truly disability-inclusive grantmaking, and the journey is ongoing. Here's a round-up of insight...
Catalyze Disability Inclusion in Your Grantmaking
There are many steps to take to catalyze disability-inclusive grantmaking. This guide offer fives key strategies to start. 1. Ask...
Disability Inclusion Menu
In this resource, you'll learn about strategies to bring disability inclusion to your workplace and grantmaking practices. There are many...
Accessible Technology
A truly disability-inclusive workplace is one that uses accessible technology across the board, from hiring processes to day-to-day operations. To...
Web Accessibility
This resource offers concrete information on ensuring your online presence is accessible to people with disabilities. Your foundation's online presence...
Planning Accessible Meetings and Events
This resource has easy-to-use, practical resources on how to make meetings and events more inclusive. Now that so many events...
Renewing the Commitment: An ADA Compliance Guide for Nonprofits
This guide from the Chicago Community Trust, which is geared toward nonprofit organizations, is brimming with resources that foundations can...
Disability Inclusion in Employment
This list includes a line-up of robust free resources that employers and human resources (HR) professionals can visit for guidance...
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...
Disability and Language
This resource seeks to provide tips on rights-affirming language and narratives preferred by people with disabilities. It is a starting...
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
Celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by learning about the history and intent of the...
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...
What is Ableism?
This introductory resource provides a working definition of ableism along with information to help reflect on ableist practices. Ableism is...
Insights Into Inclusive Philanthropy – WITH Foundation
This interview with Ryan Easterly, Executive Director of the WITH Foundation, is part of a series about disability-inclusive grantmaking. The...
Insights Into Inclusive Philanthropy – Ruderman Foundation
This interview with Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, is part of a series about disability-inclusive grantmaking. The...
Insights Into Inclusive Philanthropy – Weingart Foundation
This interview with Belen Vargas, Former Senior Vice President of the Weingart Foundation, is part of a series about disability-inclusive...
Insights Into Inclusive Philanthropy – Wellspring Philanthropic Fund
This interview with Myroslava Tataryn, disability rights program officer for the International Human Rights Program at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, is...
Philanthropic Responses to COVID-19: 4 Disability-Inclusive Approaches
This resource offers four disability-inclusive approaches, each accompanied by examples, to inform your foundation's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. For...
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.
Insights Into Inclusive Philanthropy – Northwest Health Foundation
This interview with Northwest Health Foundation's Jen Matheson, Director of Programs, and Laura Nash, Communications Consultant, is part of a...
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Recommended Reading on Disability
Written works on disability have shaped the Disability Rights Movement. These selections are helpful and insightful starting points.