Disability Justice Initiative

Rebecca Cokley, director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress, a Ford grantee. She shares some key steps any organization can take to become more inclusive.

“It is about saying specifically, ‘As we're doing social justice work, how is disability included?’”

In the United States, one in five people has a disability. People with disabilities are a part of every community yet are often multiply marginalized.

Disability justice is about centering the voices of historically excluded people with disabilities in every aspect of work, including internal decisions and organizational policies.

Rebecca reminds us that “people are policy” and gives suggestions on how we can “live our values” by making hiring and communications accessible and inclusive.

RESOURCES

Interested in learning more about how to create a truly inclusive organization? Check out these helpful resources from our grantees and partner organizations.

• Explore these guides on best practices for inclusive employment, and these practical resources on how to make meetings and events more inclusive, collated by the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy.

• Read the report, Advancing Economic Security for People with Disabilities, from the Center for American Progress.

• Learn about Best Practices for Employment from the National Organization on Disability.

• Find out more about accessible communications from Rooted in Rights.