Ensuring People with Disabilities to Have Equality

The First Quarter in Focus 
Stay informed and engaged with the latest developments in disability rights and advocacy! Here are a few key updates: 

• Action Alert: Protect Social Security 
  The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing significant challenges due to proposed budget cuts and workforce reductions. These challenges threaten the stability and effectiveness of the SSA, which provides essential services to millions of Americans, including those with disabilities. 
   
  Help us drive change by taking action on critical Social Security programs and infrastructure.  
  
  Take Action - https://www.respectability.org/act/social-security/

• Combatting Misinformation About Autism 
  Misinformation about autism continues to create barriers to understanding and inclusion. In a new piece, we dive into the importance of combatting these harmful myths to build a more informed, supportive society for individuals with autism.  

•  2025 Slamdance Film Festival: Unstoppable
  Disability representation in media is crucial, and the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival showcased a powerful film that highlights the resilience of individuals with disabilities. Discover how Unstoppable is reshaping perceptions of disability in film in this blog post, and share it to help amplify authentic representation. Additionally, our CEO, Ariel Simms, participated in a festival panel demystifying disability and accessibility, and addressing the importance of authentic disability representation in the media. 

Spotlight on Disability Rights: The 35th Anniversary of the “Wheels of Justice” Campaign  
Last month marked the 35th anniversary of the “Wheels of Justice” campaign, a defining moment in the fight for disability rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was stalled in Congress when, on March 12, 1990,the disability rights group,ADAPT, organized a powerful march from the White House to the U.S. Capitol. The march culminated in the Capitol Crawl, wherearound 475 disability rights activists left behind their mobility aids and crawled up the Capitol steps to highlight the accessibility barriers they faced. Their chant, “Access is our civil right,” put pressure on Congress to act. Just a few months later, on July 26, 1990, the ADA was signed into law. 

As we reflect on the courage and determination of those who fought for accessibility, Disability Belongs™ continues to push for progress. In 2025, we are focused on eliminating barriers to opportunity and independence, promoting equitable employment and advancement, supporting inclusive learning and education-to-work transitions, advancing accessibility best practices across sectors, and driving civic engagement and advocacy. 

Living Our Mission: How We Build a Disability-Led Culture of Support  
As a proudly disability-led organization, we don’t simply advocate for inclusion—we embody it. The majority of our board and staff are people with disabilities. By centering the leadership and expertise of disabled individuals, we create solutions that are more effective, sustainable, and impactful.  This lived experience shapes our approach, grounding the policies we champion and the programs we develop in real-world expertise. 

We are transforming systems, breaking down barriers, and challenging outdated stigmas. This work begins internally, where we prioritize livable wages, safe work environments, and policies that empower our team to do their best work. Our commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and belonging is woven into every facet of our organization, and we continuously challenge our own biases and improve to uphold our mission. 
 

Your support makes this vital work possible, and together, we are building a future where disability inclusion is not just the goal—it’s the reality. Thank you for being an integral part of this movement. 

Ways to Support 
At Disability Belongs™, wework hard toensureyour gifts support our critical work in disability inclusion, accessibility, advocacy, and authentic representation. We strive to make it as easy as possible to make a tax-deductible contribution to help advance our mission. Here are a few of the ways you can show your support today: 

• Make a Tax-Deductible Gift Online: You can make a one-time or recurring gift in the amount of your choice atGive.DisabilityBelongs.org. 

• Make a Pledge of Support:You can commit to a future donation by pledging a specific amount. Once pledged, you can decide when you'd like to fulfill your gift. To make a pledge, please contact Ally Mills at AllyM@DisabilityBelongs.org. 

• Make a Planned Gift: Planned giving is a meaningful way to donate assets, such as stocks, bonds, or property to support people with disabilities and challenge harmful stigmas. You can also name Disability Belongs™ as the beneficiary of any of these types of accounts: Life insurance policies (primary or successor beneficiary), Individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Commercial annuities,checking, savings, or other financial accounts.  

Learn more about planned giving on our website. All donations will receive a receipt with our tax information and the amount of your generous gift, pledge, or stock donation. 

 
Stay Engaged 

Follow Us on Social 
Stay up to date with the latest news, resources, and advocacy opportunities by following us on our social media channels. [Insert links] Join the conversation and help us amplify the voices of the disability community. 

Subscribe to Our Newsletters 
Sign up for our newsletters to receive updates on our work, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved.  

Friends,

As we close out another phenomenal year, we want to acknowledge our deep appreciation for you and your contributions to our work. Your unwavering support invigorates us to continue to make an impact for people with disabilities!

This year, RespectAbility became Disability Belongs™, and we are stepping into an incredible new chapter with our new brand and a renewed commitment to paving the way to opportunity for people with disabilities. By proudly embracing "disability" in our name, we are leading the charge to redefine perceptions and celebrate true inclusion as a disability-led organization. 

We are making a lasting impact by driving opportunity for the disability community, redefining harmful narratives of disability, and developing disabled leaders and inclusion champions. Below, we have laid out some of our key accomplishments this past year.

• We believe that anyone should be able to fully practice the faith of their choice, and this year we launched the Raising Awareness & Advancing Disability Belonging in the Christian Community” pilot initiative. This project will produce preaching resources and support accessibility improvements for four congregations who have joined the inaugural cohort. This work complements our ongoing efforts in the Jewish community and project serving faith communities of all kinds.
• Our National Leadership Program, in which we empower more than dozens of dynamic young leaders with disabilities, provided a transformative blend of professional development, cutting-edge skills training, and invaluable mentorship tailored for emerging professionals with disabilities. Our program isn't just about learning—it's a hands-on journey that equips these passionate individuals with the real-world experience they need to thrive in their careers. Recent graduates of the program have gone on to obtain employment with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities in Philadelphia, PBS, the California Department of Civil Rights, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and more! Others have been accepted into graduate programs at the University of Texas, University of North Carolina, and the University of Colorado Boulder.
• We expanded our Entertainment Lab to include both a five-month Virtual Lab and in-person intensives. The growing program provided 51 emerging professionals with disabilities with opportunities to develop skills, collaborate with peers, and receive mentorship from industry leaders. This dual approach ensured access for everyone and advanced Lab Fellows’ career development, empowering folks with disabilities from diverse backgrounds to break into the television, film, and streaming industries.
• Disability Belongs™ had an incredible opportunity to meet with 15 Congressional offices in-person and dozens more remotely, passionately advocating for action to support greater competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities and pushed for changes to significantly increase access to voting for our community. We sought to rally support and secure partners in advocacy needed to enact these vital changes.  

While we are proud of our we have achieved this year, we recognize that there is so much more to do to reach our mission of full inclusion in all aspects of community. Applications for our programs from people with disabilities doubled this year. Despite significant employment gains for disabled jobseekers in the early post-pandemic period, job opportunities for our community is receding and our community needs more support. Thousands of disabled folks who want to worship alongside their chosen faith community, just like anyone else, are still be excluded for faith services and inaccessible houses of worship. We want to change all of that, but we need your help!

We need your help to continue offering life-changing opportunities to more individuals with disabilities. Demand for our programs far exceeds what we can currently provide. Your support will play a crucial role in helping us redefine negative narratives surrounding disability, develop future leaders in all areas of society, and create a future filled with more opportunities. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a meaningful difference.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation before December 31st to take advantage of the charitable giving benefits for 2024. You can give online at through our GlobalGiving page. If you would like to follow along with our latest updates, make sure to follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn.

As we wrap up the year and look forward to new possibilities, we extend our deepest gratitude to you for being a vital part of our community. Thank you for your continued support! 

Gratefully,

Ariel A. Simms, Esq.