Media Impact Funders has joined 18 philanthropic and nonprofit organizations to present a series of free online diversity, equity, access and inclusion training sessions on the nuts and bolts of how PSOs and foundations and their grantees can include people with disabilities from all backgrounds in their work. The series is hosted by RespectAbility, a nonprofit that fights stigmas around disability and advances opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
The webinar series and partnership comes on the heels of a new report, Disability in Philanthropy & Nonprofits: A Study on the Inclusion and Exclusion of the 1-in-5 People Who Live with a Disability and What You Can Do to Make Things Better, which shows that while 75 percent of the sector wants to include people with disabilities, they don’t know how to do it.
This upcoming series of free webinars aims to give you and your teams step-by-step guidance and resources to help foundations and nonprofits on their journey.
Register here for one or more of these webinars:
Wednesday, Nov. 6 | 1:30 p.m. ET
Disability 101
Get an overview of who makes up the more than 60 million people in America who live with some form of physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health or other disability in America. You will learn about ableism and how to dismantle it, as well as the key differences between the way people successfully understand and relate to people with disabilities. Gain a basic understanding of how disability intersects with multiple content areas, from employment and poverty to criminal justice reform and education.
Wednesday, Nov. 13 | 1:30 p.m. ET
Disability History
How has disability been defined in different historical eras? What has it meant to be disabled in the 20th century? How and why did disability movements for social and political change develop? Who have been the major national and local leaders? What are the major acts of legislation that have defined the rights of disabled Americans? What are equal access and universal design? How do these concepts depart from previous American ideas about civil rights and equality?
Wednesday, Nov. 20 | 1:30 p.m. ET
How to Ensure Accessible Events
Organizational representatives will be given an accessibility checklist and be taught how to use it. Although 72 percent of nonprofit organizations say they have a policy of nondiscrimination against people with disabilities, too few take simple steps to make their programming truly accessible. For example, fewer than 60 percent of their events are always held in physically accessible spaces. Fewer than one-third (30 percent) offer opportunities for participants at public events to request accommodations like sign language interpreters, live captioning or food allergy alternatives. This session will train organizations to ensure that their practices match their principles so that their organizations can benefit from the talents and perspectives of people with disabilities, just like anyone else.
Wednesday, Dec. 4 | 1:30 p.m. ET
How to Recruit, Accommodate and Promote People with Disabilities for Paid Employment, Volunteer Leadership and Board Positions
A large percentage of nonprofits we surveyed agree that the best solutions for the inclusion of a subgroup must incorporate the experience and knowledge of people with lived experiences from that group. Yet less than half of the nonprofits surveyed reported having a person with a disability on staff, let alone in leadership. This session will be for HR and inclusion professionals to teach them everything they need to know to recruit, hire, accommodate, retain, and promote people with disabilities.
Wednesday, Dec. 11 | 1:30 PM ET
How to Ensure A Welcoming Lexicon and Inclusive Storytelling
The use of certain words or phrases can express bias either intentionally or unintentionally. The National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) provides the industry’s only disability language style guide. The guide is intended for journalists, communication professionals and members of the general public who are seeking the appropriate and accurate language to use when writing or talking about people living with disabilities. The guide covers general terms and words on physical disabilities, hearing and visual impairments, mental and cognitive disabilities and seizure disorders. Beyond specific language, learn from the Divas With Disabilities Project on how to ensure your storytelling is inclusive of people with disabilities, while avoiding inspiration porn.
Tuesday, Jan. 7 | 1:30 p.m. ET
How to Ensure Accessible Websites, Social Media and Inclusive Photos
Today’s website is the front lobby of our organizations, and social media is fast supplanting the more traditional ways that our organizations connect with the public. Our research shows that organizations are not yet meeting basic requirements for accessibility, like captioned videos, screen reader-friendly designs, and photo description / alt-text. This online workshop will give a nonprofit everything it needs to know to open its digital door.
Thursday, Jan. 9 | 1:30 p.m. ET
Premium Skills Workshop in Social Media Accessibility
Social media platforms raise some access issues for individuals with disabilities. Although accessibility on social media sites is limited in a lot of ways, some features do exist in each platform. Enjoy a hands-on presentation in best practices for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The webinar will be extremely interactive. Prepare materials, including text and images, to post and follow-along with a content expert as you share your materials in the most accessible way for all.
Wednesday, Jan. 15 | 1:30 p.m. ET
How to Ensure Legal Rights and Compliance Obligations: Exploring the Rights of Employees and Participants, and the Obligations of Nonprofit Organizations Under the Law
At RespectAbility, we believe strongly that the greatest motivator and argument around inclusion is the value that it brings both to the organization and to the person. Even with this backdrop, however, we recognize that parties will occasionally find themselves at points of disagreement, and at that point, it becomes important for everyone to know the nature of their legal rights and obligations. This session will cover those topics, including the special sensitivities and limitations applying to nonprofit organizations.