RespectAbility

RespectAbility is working to expand education and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. RespectAbility has worked with governors across the country to help advance and realign state programs to help people with disabilities obtain competitive, integrated employment opportunities.{{Cite news|url=https://curemedical.com/respectability-takes-a-stand-for-disabilities/|title=RespectAbility Advances Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities - Cure Medical|date=2017-08-02|work=Cure Medical|access-date=2017-12-07|language=English}} RespectAbility has provided testimony on disability employment in all 50 states and at the federal level.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/date/RespectAbility_DOL_Advisory_Committee_Testimony_04-15-16_FINAL.pdf |title=RespectAbility – Public Testimony Submission: The Department of Labor Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive, Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities }}

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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.respectability.org/identifying-models-success/|title=Identifying Models of Success - Respect Ability|work=Respect Ability|access-date=2017-12-07|language=English}}

Born This Way, which won an Emmy for best Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program in 2017,{{Cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/born-way|title=Born This Way|website=Television Academy|language=en|access-date=2017-12-07}} 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 former 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.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/gallery/variety-2017-inclusion-impact-report/#!37/jonathan-murray-2|title=Variety's 2017 Inclusion Impact Report|author=Variety Staff|date=2017-11-01|work=Variety|access-date=2017-12-07|language=English}}

The National Leadership Program is an Apprenticeship 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.{{Cite web|url=http://eop.com/cd_article.php?content=RespectabilityReceivesGrantFromFordFoundationToCreateHarrietTubmanFellowships|title=Equal Opportunity Publications - Article Page - Careers & the Disabled|website=eop.com|access-date=2017-12-08}}

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 and 2020 presidential campaigns. Their political advocacy was featured in a segment on the PBS NewsHour,{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/candidates-offer-americans-disabilities-growing-voting-bloc|title=What the candidates offer to Americans with disabilities, a growing voting bloc|website=PBS NewsHour|date=2 November 2016 |language=English|access-date=2017-12-08}} The Diane Rehm Show,{{Cite news|url=https://dianerehm.org/shows/2015-07-13/the-americans-with-disabilities-act-25-years-later|title=The Americans With Disabilities Act 25 Years Later - Diane Rehm|work=Diane Rehm|access-date=2017-12-08|language=English}} page 1 of The New York Times,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/us/politics/hillary-clinton-speech.html|title=Hillary Clinton Outlines Vision of More Job Opportunities for People With Disabilities|last1=Flegenheimer|first1=Matt|date=2016-09-21|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-12-08|last2=Chozick|first2=Amy|language=English|issn=0362-4331}} and page 1 of The Washington Post{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clinton-makes-an-unusual-push-to-win-over-disabled-people-and-their-families/2016/09/21/41f15962-8012-11e6-8d0c-fb6c00c90481_story.html|title=Clinton makes an unusual push: To win over disabled people and their families|last1=Wagner|first1=John|date=2016-09-21|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2017-12-08|last2=Phillip|first2=Abby|language=English|issn=0190-8286}} and NPR,{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/22/495000558/clinton-puts-focus-on-56-million-invisible-disabled-voters|title=Clinton Puts Focus On 56 Million 'Invisible' Voters With Disabilities|work=NPR.org|access-date=2017-12-08|language=en}} HME News,{{Cite web|url=http://www.hmenews.com/article/qa-respectability-s-jennifer-laszlo-mizrahi|title=Q&A: RespectAbility's Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi {{!}} HME News|website=www.hmenews.com|access-date=2017-12-08}} The Atlantic{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/disability-2016-election/426798/|title=A Reporting Project Puts Disabilities on the Political Agenda|last=Perry|first=David M.|work=The Atlantic|access-date=2017-12-08|language=English}} and other publications.

The organization has come under fire due to its Founder Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi's comments about race and the 2016 election. Mizrahi made a technical point about what might turn the election in favor of Hillary Clinton. Multiple disability rights bloggers objected to Mizrahi's comments.Intersectional Justice: Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi's Post on White Voters and Disability [http://www.thismess.net/2016/09/intersectional-justice-jennifer-lazlo.html]RespectAbility, Class and Race Privilege, and Leveling the Erring Field [https://talesfromthecripblog.com/2016/09/28/respectability-class-and-race-privilege-and-leveling-the-erring-field/]{{cite web|url=https://disabilitythinking.com/disabilitythinking/2016/9/26/whats-the-problem|title=What's The Problem?|website=Disability Thinking|date=27 September 2016 }} 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. However, the following day, Mizrahi spoke on behalf of RespectAbility USA when she was quoted on CNN about white disabled voters.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/21/politics/hillary-clinton-economy-disabled/index.html|title=Clinton ignores Trump, delivers speech on helping disabled|author=Dan Merica|website=CNN|date=21 September 2016 }} In response, RespectAbility issued an apology, which many disabled bloggers felt was a non-apology since she never actually apologized.{{Cite news|url=https://www.respectability.org/2016/09/23/public-apology/|title=Public Apology - Respect Ability|date=2016-09-23|work=Respect Ability|access-date=2017-12-08|language=English}} Later the organization issued a more detailed apology amidst pressure from the disability community.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/an-open-letter-to-the-disability-organization-respectability_us_57e88457e4b05d3737be6276|title=An Open Letter To The Disability Organization RespectAbility On Racism And Apologies|last=Blahovec|first=Sarah|date=2016-09-26|website=Huffington Post|language=English|access-date=2017-12-08}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/HTCollective/posts/1658826824414755?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBroicJ4CA1ijh88TPBmMreta7TJRzY0qQIrBrJXPgPwkUEoheH9nWNhPlAFGeKqhq5ygzxUs8Jb47QFbSWdwovh1SCcQkFZx0a4IdOTcwloWGSSCNumAnWqRvvgJk1IEY0pNGWw4FCbpOzEDWfKa_pHHVLOO8-CDiGw8X6EGOLCwo02fGKlXU&__tn__=H-R|title=Harriet Tubman Collective|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2018-10-15}}

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• {{Official website|https://www.respectability.org/}}

Category:Disability organizations based in the United States

Category:Health and disability rights organizations in the United States