On May 9, 2023, I had the privilege to interview my dear friend and colleague, Dennis Tran. I worked with Dennis on the Fox Family Foundation’s Inaugural Vision Fair in October 2022, and we were both Fellows in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. As May is Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, [click to continue...]
The intersection of identity with disability uniquely affects people of all races. For Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) this is compounded by the fact that AAPIs are a wildly diverse ethnic group and have an equally diverse range of experiences. With a population expected to surpass 40 million by 2060, and 1.3 million disabled, it [click to continue...]
In this month’s partner spotlight, we look at the fantastic work the Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative (AADI) is doing. AADI seeks to bring a haven for Asian Americans with disabilities online and in person. AADI came about when Founder and Executive Director, Jennifer Lee, began recognizing and understanding her disability while grappling with the [click to continue...]
March was a particularly a strong month for our policy department, both in terms of teaching and networking. On March 3, Senior Policy Advisor Matan Koch taught more than 50 workforce professionals how to advocate for disability inclusion in their work places using the business case. You can watch that webinar and download the fully [click to continue...]
Our nation’s workforce system is a crucial aspect of the economy. It consists of many organizations, laws, and programs that connect people to jobs. But one significant component of the modern workforce system is in need of reauthorization. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, or WIOA, combined more than a dozen workforce development [click to continue...]
This month’s Data Corner again examines the tracking data of National Trends In Disability Employment (nTIDE). In March 2023, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities yet again set an all-time high of 40.2% compared to 37.8% in March 2022. This is encouraging as it means the gap is narrowing between workers with [click to continue...]
On the last day of February 2023, I joined a roomful of employers, job seekers, and advocates in a conference center in San Francisco all united by one passion – building a workforce that was diverse, inclusive, and welcoming to all. This one-day event, hosted by Roy Baladi of Jobs for Humanity and cosponsored by [click to continue...]
President Biden released his budget last week, and it has tremendous potential to advance the disability community, but only if disabled people are included and remain vigilant. The budget includes a number of programs which are framed as making the economy more competitive and Americans more secure. The first thing of note is the specific [click to continue...]
I recently researched three disability organizations in the countries of Afghanistan, India, and Kenya to find out the differences and similarities between what they and RespectAbility do. Upon exploring them, I realized the unifying thread that was the Convention on Rights for Persons with Disabilities. I believe that the U.S. should immediately ratify the treaty. [click to continue...]
Last month, we shared monthly employment data from the BLS. In this month’s Data Corner, we examine the National Trends In Disability Employment (nTIDE) and their work tracking employment for people with disabilities. We will also explore some educational data that shows some encouraging progress. In February 2023, the labor force participation rate for people [click to continue...]
