RespectAbility celebrated seven great nights of Chanukah fun (taking Friday December 3rd off for Shabbat to relax and reflect). Each night we lit candles as a virtual group. Additionally, we featured two great members of our community who shared a very short (3-5 minute) and upbeat personal story or remark about Chanukah. Celebrations included candle lighting, maybe a song, the candle lighting prayers and perhaps a little schmoozing. It was very informal. [continue reading…]
At L.A. ComicCon, we hosted a panel on disability inclusion in film and television. Attendees learned how inclusion can positively impact their bottom line and stretch their marketing dollars for their feature film or television project. [continue reading…]
Jewish Funders Network hosted an exclusive presentation and facilitated discussion that covered the results of three major new studies on Jewish disability inclusion in the workforce. They discussed:
The federal government is actively working to capitalize on the accessibility gains made by remote work and striving to implement policies to promote the safety of workers in diverse sectors of the economy. This webinar featured three key high-level federal leaders reflecting on their work, their priorities and their hopes for the months ahead. [continue reading…]
Throughout the month of October 2021, RespectAbility hosted a series of virtual celebrations, panel conversations and networking opportunities to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Through a combination of forward-facing panels and breakout networking rooms, participants learned about writing, directing, producing, self-advocacy and more.
Liz Amelia Green
Liz Amelia Green, an alumna of the RespectAbility cohort of the WarnerMedia Access Early Career Bootcamp who also is a filmmaker as well as a volunteer financial counselor, hosted a session on personal finance and budgeting. The session was geared toward disabled creatives and filmmakers. Liz discussed budgeting, saving, the basics of investing and compound interest, insurance, and building a secure financial future so you can live and give. For all attendees, Liz offered up to two free additional 15-minute one-on-one sessions to dive deeper into individual situations.
This event is part of a larger series of events. Learn more: https://www.respectability.org/ndeam-entertainment-summit
With an Introduction by Wynne Lum, Environmental, Social and Governance, Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Throughout the month of October 2021, join RespectAbility for a series of virtual celebrations, panel conversations and networking opportunities as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Through a combination of forward-facing panels and breakout networking rooms, participants will learn about writing, directing, producing, self-advocacy and more. Please note that some sessions are open only to entertainment industry creatives who identify as deaf or disabled, as we seek to continue to build community. Learn more: https://www.respectability.org/ndeam-entertainment-summit.
Sheridan O’Donnell
In January 2020, writer and director Sheridan O’Donnell was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa. In October 2021 he was completing his feature debut, Little Brother, starring J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Philip Ettinger (HBO’s I Know This Much Is True) and Daniel Diemer (Netflix’s The Half Of It), which is currently in post production. In this session, O’Donnell shared his personal experiences navigating production with his vision loss, accepting his disability, and finding ways to advocate for himself and other filmmakers with disabilities. Creatives who identify as blind/low vision were encouraged to attend. [continue reading…]
CCD hosted two panel discussions on innovative strategies best practices to recruit and hire people with disabilities in competitive integrated employment.
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This event is part of a larger series of events. Learn more: https://www.respectability.org/ndeam-entertainment-summit
This was a discussion in partnership with Roadmap Writers surrounding the experience of disabled writers currently working in the writers room and beyond.
Roadmap Writers is a talent training and discovery platform for screenwriters ready for a guided path to success. Their programs are hosted by working industry executives and are designed to empower writers with actionable tools and insights to elevate your craft and cultivate relationships with industry professionals. Since 2016, they have helped more than 185 writers sign to representation and countless others get staffed, optioned, or sell their script.
Just as no disabled person has the same life experience as another, there is no singular path to the writers room. For many people in the disability community, that path can often feel even more difficult to navigate given the historical lack of inclusion and accessibility in the Entertainment industry. That said, the industry seems to be at a turning point as more and more disabled writers are making their way into the writers room, and more decision-makers are beginning to understand the importance of improving the representation of disabled people both in front of and behind the camera. This event was a conversation with Diana Romero (4400), Marc Muszynski (Dexter), and Shea Mirzai (Space Coyote Productions). They discussed their journeys and experiences as disabled writers currently working in the industry.
Juliet Romeo
Film festivals can be a great place for filmmakers to share their work with live audiences and network with other industry members; however, many film festivals are not fully accessible. This session was led by Juliet Romeo, filmmaker and founder of the UNSTOPPABLE Films program promoting disability and diversity inclusion in film. The program made its debut for Slamdance Film Festival 2021 with record-breaking numbers, and many companies including Hulu, Google, YouTube and ARRAY showing their support. During this session, Juliet shared more about the process of creating UNSTOPPABLE Films, and how she hopes it will become a blueprint program for all festivals going forward to include, showcase and celebrate the brilliant works and stories of the disabled community. [continue reading…]
