Ensuring People with Disabilities to Have Equality

Hi Friends,  

Happy New Year! As you may have heard, 2023 marked RespectAbility’s tenth anniversary. Since our founding in 2013, we have made significant progress in our mission to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. Compared to when we started this journey, there are now millions more individuals with disabilities who are employed. Today, we celebrate a historic high of the disability employment rate in the United States 

As we enter the new year, we reflect on the growth and impact across our key advocacy pillars during the past year: 

Policy and Civic Engagement: We have been fighting for the voting rights of people with disabilities, including pushing for accessibility at the ballot box. No one should lose their right to vote due to inaccessible polling practices. 

Faith Inclusion and Belonging: We have established more than 20 new partnerships with Jewish and multifaith organizations, including Hunter College Hillel, Yale Divinity School, and the University of Southern California Center for Religion and Civic Culture. 

Entertainment and News Media: Our team was busy this year training major companies in the entertainment industry to be more accessible and inclusive in their work, as well as in supporting disabled creatives to move the needle on more authentic storytelling. 

Leadership and Workforce Development: We are building a pipeline of career-ready, emerging leaders through targeted skills-training and development opportunities.   

RespectAbility does all this while embodying the accessibility, equity, and inclusion we advocate for in the workplace. We provideaccommodations, assistive technology, and remain flexible in our work as we are committed to being a welcoming environment for anyone and everyone.   

People with disabilities face significant challenges in finding employment due to persistent barriers such as low wages, inaccessible work environments, lack of accommodations, and negative stigmas. Your support throughout this journey has been incredible, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude for continuing by our side!  

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support of RespectAbility and all we are doing to fight stigmas and advance opportunities for people with disabilities. It is an exciting time of year at RespectAbility! As I write, we have just recently begun the latest cohorts of our job training programs for people with disabilities. Recently, members of our board and staff attended MATAN's Spring event to celebrate our Senior Policy Advisor Matan Koch receiving the organization's Impact Award! Both our National Leadership Program and the Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities just welcomed dozens of future leaders with disabilities into the programs. However, in this report, we are writing to share exciting updates on our board leadership.

As RespectAbility enters its second decade fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities, the organization is proud to announce that Linda L. Burger has been elected as its first female Chair of the Board of Directors. Additionally, Christine Cadena and Paul Martin have been elected to the Board of Directors after serving on the organization’s Advisory Council. Cadena has joined the Executive Committee as a Vice Chair, alongside continuing Vice Chairs Vivian Bass and Delbert Whetter. Craig Leen has joined the Executive Committee as Secretary, and Khadija Bari remains Treasurer. Shelley Cohen remains on the Executive Committee as an at-large member.

Ollie Cantos is staying on the Executive Committee as the Immediate Past Chair. “I am filled with intense gratitude for having had the privilege of being at the helm of RespectAbility over the past two years, and it is my honor to join the ranks of Donn Weinberg, Calvin Harris, and Steve Bartlett as Chairs Emeriti,” said Cantos. “I am grateful to pass the baton to a new leader, who will surely build on our solid history as we tackle a future that is extraordinarily bright with promise and possibility.”

Linda L. Burger has served on RespectAbility’s Board since 2016; she was elected Treasurer in 2018. Her professional life has been devoted to leading and shaping a robust resume of work in the Houston Jewish community, most recently in creating significant social service programs as CEO of Jewish Family Service of Houston, from which she retired in 2022. Since becoming CEO in 2005, Burger and her team instituted game-changing initiatives that transformed and expanded the agency’s ability to respond to basic needs and community emergencies and focus on erasing stigmas associated with disability and mental health issues. Her leadership on inclusion of and advocacy for people with disabilities and the prevention of suicide and substance misuse has received national recognition.

“I am deeply honored to take on the role of Chair of the Board of Directors at RespectAbility,” said Burger. “As we enter a new decade of advocating for inclusion and equal opportunities, I am committed to building on the organization’s strong foundation. Together, we will continue to break down barriers, fight stigmas, and create a society where everyone can thrive and participate in all aspects of the community. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and President Ariel Simms and the dedicated team of professionals they lead.”

Christine Cadena, recently retired, formerly served as the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at The Walt Disney Company, where she was responsible for developing and advancing strategic company-wide inclusion efforts across diverse consumer segments. She led community engagement with a focus on advancing representation, equity, and inclusion, as well as internal efforts including a companywide workgroup focused on advancing inclusion practices for people with disabilities.

“I’m honored to join the Board as Vice Chair and look forward to working alongside Ariel Simms and the outstanding staff, Advisors, and Board to advance RespectAbility’s mission to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities,” said Cadena.

Craig Leen is a partner at K&L Gates LLP in Washington, D.C., in the labor, employment, and workplace safety practice group. He advises companies on equal employment opportunity compliance, including under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He formerly served as the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he was a strong national advocate on civil rights and disability inclusion in employment.

“Both in my private and public sector civil rights work, I have looked to RespectAbility as a true leader in the areas of disability inclusion and accessibility,” said Leen. “It is such an honor for me to serve on the Executive Committee. I plan to focus my tenure on engagement with the federal regulatory agencies to improve compliance and best practice guidance relating to the ADA and Rehabilitation Act.”

“RespectAbility is thrilled to welcome these incredible leaders to its Board and Executive Committee,” said Ariel Simms, President and CEO of RespectAbility. “I’m also grateful to those leaders who have now completed their service on the Executive Committee and Board, and I’m especially grateful to Ollie Cantos for his partnership since I first joined the organization in May of 2022. This leadership change coincides with an important milestone for RespectAbility – the 10th Anniversary of our founding. As we look toward the next decade of fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for the full diversity of the disability community, I’m filled with hope for the work we can accomplish alongside these passionate leaders.”

RespectAbility is a diverse and disability-led nonprofit that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities and that advances policies and practices that empower people with disabilities to have a better future. Our mission is to fight stigma and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.