Faith and Spirituality

Judith (Judy) Heumann was the definition of perseverance and determination in her fight for equity for all people. Considered “the mother” of the disability rights movement, Judy Heumann has been a part of almost every pivotal moment in the movement ever since. After being turned away from her elementary school for being seen as a ‘fire hazard,’ Judy committed the entirety of her life to the disability rights movement. However, she is perhaps best known for helping to lead a 28-day sit-in at the San Francisco federal building which led to the signing of section 504. Section 504 was the first major piece of legislation protecting disabled people under federal law and its passing and opened up the legal flood gates for broader protections for the disabled community.

Judy Heumann was a trailblazer. Being in a position of power, as she was, was a huge step not only for the general disabled population, but specifically for women and girls with disabilities. Heumann often emphasized the intersectional approach needed to address all parts of an individual’s identity. Specifically, she pointed out the multiple forms of discrimination and marginalization women and girls with disabilities face due to their gender and disabilities. Heumann advocated to empower women with disabilities to advocate for their own rights and participate fully in all aspects of society. [continue reading…]

When I was first offered the position of Faith Inclusion and Belonging Associate at RespectAbility, I was told, to my utter shock, that on my first day of work, I would be meeting Judy Heumann. Getting to meet your all-time hero on your first day on the job is a remarkable experience, and learning that your hero is deeply invested in your own activism within faith communities is life changing.

I first saw Judy during my time at Yale University when she spoke to the Law School about the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I will never forget being in a space full of some of the most powerful people, not only at Yale University but in the world, when she declared that Yale University itself was in violation of the very law they were celebrating. After my time working with activists across the university, demonstrating against these ADA violations, I was both in awe of her ability to speak truth to power and deeply affirmed to hear a public figure tell Yale exactly what we had been saying all along. [continue reading…]

Late one Sunday night last October, my phone rang. I panicked because late night calls never bring good news.

“Who is calling so late?” I grumbled.

One glance at the screen and I had my answer. It was actually good news.

“Hi, Judy,” I said. “I’m so glad you called!”

A month earlier I texted Judy Heumann with an invitation to be the guest speaker on a webinar RespectAbility was doing for Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month. I added that we wanted to feature her two recent books, “Being Heumann” and “Rolling Warrior” for the JDAIM Reads! Selections.

She texted immediately. “Of course, I am interested and thank you very much!” [continue reading…]

Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month for 2023 is almost over. In March, the Faith Inclusion and Belonging team will evaluate RespectAbility’s first JDAIM since I joined the team. We will be reaching out to many of our national and community colleagues to find out what they promoted during JDAIM and how our Faith Inclusion and Belonging team can support their work going forward.

We are also committed to exploring collaborations in the multi-faith space and learning from others who are doing similar awareness programming. At the same time, our team will be learning from disability organizations that have spirituality and religious participation as part of their work.

Yesterday and today, I was glued to the view outside my office window, watching Mother Nature deliver a meteorological gut punch in the form of two feet of snow. I thought about the times JDAIM events had to be cancelled or drew only a handful of people thanks to weather in some parts of North America. Inclement weather never even occurred to me and my colleagues from the Jewish Special Education Consortium when we chose February for JDAIM back in 2009. [continue reading…]

This year I was fortunate to bear witness to the transformative work done during Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). One of my favorite events during JDAIM was at Temple Emanuel in Boston. I hit the road from my apartment in New Haven, Connecticut around 6 a.m. to make it for our first event at 8:30 a.m. As I entered the synagogue, I was struck by the accessible infrastructure present throughout the building, including ramps both outside and inside the building, accessible bathrooms, and accessible parking.

These may seem like small accessibility measures. However, since religious organizations are not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, these measures are more than I have seen in many houses of worship. With that context in mind, I was surprised and delighted to find that their accessibility commitments went further. When I entered the small-group meeting rooms and the sanctuary, there was a large screen with live captioning, microphones to ensure presenters could be heard, and a livestream recording each part of the event so those who were unable to attend in person still had access.
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The Faith Inclusion and Belonging team is pleased to welcome three new apprentices to our team! They will be working on leadership skills and contributing to the growth of the department as we continue to develop our multifaith space. Below, read more about them! [continue reading…]

Ben Bond

When I was offered the Faith Inclusion and Belonging Associate position at RespectAbility, I felt I was coming home. The intersectionality of faith inclusion and disability is at the heart of my calling, woven through the very fabric of my being.

I have lived with dyslexia my whole life (what an ironically hard word to spell). When I was in high school, I sustained a physical injury which caused severe constant, chronic, and debilitating pain. The obstacles I encountered with a physical disability made me become intimately and undeniably aware of the physical manifestations of ableism.

As an undergraduate major in religious studies receiving disability accommodations I investigated the connections between disability and spirituality in a multifaith context. I continued that journey at Yale Divinity School and began asking questions about disability and Christian traditions. I was both disheartened and encouraged. I was heartbroken as I came to terms with the ways Christianity was instrumental in constructing the current systems of ableism which are pervasive in western society. I was also curious about ways Christianity could be a site of liberation and transformation for disabled people, faith communities, and institutions. [continue reading…]

I didn’t know what to expect when I met Bobby Silverstein. I had met many great disability icons, but Bobby was sort of a mystery to me, a name that I always knew, but knew very little about. It was thus with some trepidation that I invited him to share an introduction reflecting around 30^th anniversary of the ADA on what the law meant to him, as an advocate, a lawyer, and a Jew. Bobby opened his remarks saying “to me, the ADA is a codification of the commandment to do justice and pursue acts of loving kindness.” He continued, “to do justice, one must understand history and the nature of injustice experienced by people with disabilities.” He followed with a haunting and powerful primer on the injustices faced by people with disabilities in Western civilization. [continue reading…]

The holidays can be busy and stressful for many people. The hustle and bustle of decorating, shopping, or for some, being alone or missing a loved one, can be overwhelming. Some push through to the point of not taking care of themselves, while others may withdraw. Everyone copes differently, and there are numerous strategies one could use to help their mental health this holiday season. Here are a few possibilities:

Remember what really matters to you: You could do this by making a list of what you enjoy, including traditions, creating new memories, or spending time with those that matter to you. [continue reading…]