Kristen Paskins, RN’s Post

Check out “Disability equity must be fundamental to international engagement” in the Mandarin today: https://lnkd.in/gpspWMxh What this article is talking about is not just the right thing or the smart thing, it is now the expected thing. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the new paradigm requires “nothing about us without us” and full, equal and resourced participation at the top table from design, in implementation and with monitoring. the Mandarin article reads in part:  --- Over recent years the conversation around disability has changed enormously and for the better. The disability movement now talks about equity and rights, not mere inclusion. We say people with disabilities should not only be at the table, but the shape of the table must change so that they can fully and meaningfully participate and lead on an equal basis…. The 2009 Development for All strategy was the first disability-inclusive development strategy to guide Australian international aid. In fact, it was the first distinct strategy on disability for any international donor country. It was truly trailblazing. The strategic intent, framework and resourcing provided by that strategy directly supported people with disabilities and their representative organisations to participate more fully in their community. It enabled collaboration and convening of governments to bring focus and direct action to support people with disabilities across the Pacific and beyond. … Programs must be designed based on analysis of the barriers facing people with disabilities, and program delivery must include both specific projects working with people with disabilities and consideration of the ‘preconditions to inclusion’ for people with disabilities. Failing to examine the preconditions for inclusion too often means leaving barriers, and can be the reasons why people with disabilities are left behind. We must address things like accessibility, assistive technology and social stigma, to truly promote inclusion. … We have come a long way, and there is much to be proud of. But we want to be able to look back on the next 17 years and be proud of the next round of achievements. To make that a reality, Australia will need to be brave and bold in committing to shift the dial towards disability equity. ---

Title: Celebrating Disability Pride Month: Embracing Inclusivity Everywhere https://lnkd.in/gdeJ_aQE July is Disability Pride Month—a time to celebrate the diversity and contributions of people with disabilities worldwide. It’s more than just a month; it’s a call for continuous inclusivity in our workplaces and educational settings. Why Disability Pride Month Matters Originating alongside the ADA in 1990, Disability Pride Month promotes awareness and fights against ableism. It’s a reminder to embrace everyone’s talents and ensure equal opportunities for all. Advancing Inclusivity Through Technology Digital accessibility, like UserWay’s innovations, plays a crucial role in creating inclusive environments. It empowers individuals with disabilities to navigate online platforms seamlessly, fostering equal participation in today’s digital world. Embracing Symbolism: The Disability Pride Flag The Disability Pride flag, with its distinctive stripes representing various disabilities—from physical to neurodivergent and sensory—symbolizes unity and advocacy for a barrier-free society. What does the disability pride flag look like today? Charcoal gray background: In memory of the victims of ableist abuse and violence, including children or those killed, suicides, or individuals who suffered from negligence. Diagonal band: Cutting across the barriers blocking people with disabilities from full participation, integration, and inclusion in society Red stripe: Physical disabilities (chronic pain/fatigue, mobility impairment, loss of limbs) Gold stripe: Neurodivergence (autism, ADHD, dyslexia) White stripe: Undiagnosed and invisible disabilities Blue stripe: Psychiatric disabilities (depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc.) Green stripe: Sensory disabilities (hearing loss, visual impairments, etc.) Action Beyond July Let’s make inclusivity a year-round commitment. From local events to workplace accommodations and educational reforms, every step we take builds a more accessible and accepting society. Join the Conversation Celebrate Disability Pride Month with us and advocate for inclusivity in every aspect of life. Together, we can create a world where diversity thrives. #DisabilityPride #InclusionMatters

Are you ready for Disability Pride Month in July? Time is flying and it's already just around the corner! Although I can't emphasize enough how essential it is to recognize disability year-round and not just once a year, I'm also always excited for a month of celebrating disability history, culture, identity, and community. Honoring Disability Pride Month is such a valuable way to learn and make progress toward fostering an inclusive culture. Whether your organization is just getting started in the learning process or already well on your way, I'd love to support that effort. Speaking, educating, storytelling about disability are at the heart of what I do, so if you're planning an event, it would be a joy to join! But what's most important to me is that you find a speaker who is the right fit for your organization. Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau (which I'm so lucky to be represented by) put together a great list of speakers to consider for Disability Pride Month (including Lachi ♫, Sara Hendren, John Hendrickson, Tara Rae Moss, and Maya-Camille Broussard). Here's the list. Check it out, and if you'd like to work together, please reach out and let's make it happen! https://lnkd.in/eTzVbYts (Image description: Headshot of me, a white woman with curly brown shoulder-length hair wearing glasses and a purple sweater dress, sitting in a wheelchair. To the side is a quote from me, "If the disability community wants a world that's accessible to us, then we must make ideas and experiences of disability accessible to the world.") #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilityRights #DisabilityAdvocacy #DEI #DEIA #DiversityEquityInclusion #Accessibility #A11y #LinkedInTopVoices

#TheMorningInclusive: Celebrating Disability Pride Month July is Disability Pride Month, a significant time to honor the history, celebrate the achievements, and acknowledge the contributions of the disability community. It’s a month dedicated to promoting visibility and mainstream awareness of the positive pride felt by people with disabilities. As we celebrate, it’s crucial to reflect on the importance of accessibility in creating an inclusive society. Disability Pride Month, a testament to the progress made in the journey towards inclusivity, originated in the United States to commemorate the passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. This groundbreaking legislation prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities and ensured their rights in all areas of public life. The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston in 1990, and the concept has since evolved into a month-long celebration. In 2015, New York City officially declared July as Disability Pride Month to mark the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Accessibility is more than just a legal requirement; it’s a fundamental human right. It ensures everyone has equal access to opportunities, services, and environments regardless of their abilities. When we prioritize accessibility, we not only break down barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in society, but we also foster a more diverse and innovative community. This can lead to better problem-solving, increased productivity, and a more inclusive society. In the workplace, accessibility means providing the necessary tools and accommodations to enable employees to perform their best. This could include adaptive technologies like screen readers for visually impaired employees, flexible work arrangements such as remote work options for those with mobility issues, and accessible office spaces with ramps and wide doorways. In our communities, accessibility can take many forms, from accessible public transportation and buildings to inclusive recreational activities and digital content. When we design with accessibility in mind, we create welcoming and usable spaces for everyone. In our communities, accessibility can take many forms, from accessible public transportation and buildings to inclusive recreational activities and digital content. When we design with accessibility in mind, we create welcoming and usable spaces for everyone. As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, let’s reinforce our commitment to advocating for accessibility in all areas of life. By doing so, we can build a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Let’s embrace diversity, promote inclusion, and ensure that accessibility is at the forefront of our efforts. #DisabilityPrideMonth #Belonging #Inclusion #Diversity #Equity #Accessibility NOTE: This image was created with Copilot to Summarize this text. 

What does disability equity look like, and how can we achieve it? At the halfway mark of Agenda 2030, people with disabilities remain the largest minority in the world; are the group farthest left behind by progress made to date, and at greatest risk of falling further behind due to the escalating climate and economic crisis. The Australian Government’s forthcoming International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy is the third such strategy for Australia’s development program and comes almost 10 years after the previous one was released. The adoption of the language of rights and equity in the document name is a positive signal that Government has listened to the calls from the disability movement, seeking to step beyond too often tokenistic inclusion and towards meaningful equity. The Pacific Disability Forum’s CEO, @SMacanawai and CBM Australia’s CEO @Jane discuss how imperative pre-conditions to inclusion, including assistive technologies are in eliminating barriers to inclusion and achieving disability equity. We all have a role to play in shifting the dial towards disability equity. Read more about moving beyond a seat at the table and how we can achieve this change here > https://lnkd.in/gHHDVxGd

🌟 July is Disability Pride Month! 🌟 Is your company looking to promote inclusivity and awareness? As a passionate advocate for disability rights and adaptive fashion, I'm here to share my experiences and insights. Hire me as a guest speaker for your event or workshop and let's work together to create a more inclusive environment. From disability advocacy to adaptive fashion, I bring a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective that can inspire and educate your team. Let's celebrate Disability Pride Month by fostering understanding and support for all. Reach out to book a session! Topics include: 1. **Disability Advocacy**: - The importance of disability rights and how to support them. - Personal experiences and challenges living with a disability. - Navigating accessibility in everyday life and the workplace. 2. **Adaptive Fashion**: - The evolution and significance of adaptive fashion. - How to create and market inclusive clothing lines. - Personal experiences with adaptive fashion and its impact. - The role of adaptive fashion in empowering individuals with disabilities. 3. **Inclusivity in the Workplace**: - Best practices for creating an inclusive work environment. - How to accommodate employees with disabilities. - The benefits of diversity and inclusion for businesses. 4. **Health Management for People with Disabilities**: - Strategies for managing multiple medical appointments and treatments. - Tips for maintaining physical and mental health. - Navigating healthcare systems and advocating for your needs. 5. **Empowerment and Self-Advocacy**: - Building self-confidence and advocating for your rights. - Overcoming societal stigma and misconceptions about disabilities. - Stories of empowerment and resilience. 6. **Technology and Accessibility**: - The role of technology in enhancing accessibility. - Emerging tech innovations that support people with disabilities. - How companies can integrate accessible technology into their products and services. 7. **Community Building and Support Networks**: - The importance of community for individuals with disabilities. - How to build and maintain supportive networks. - Resources and organizations that offer support and advocacy. 8. **Education and Awareness**: - Raising awareness about different types of disabilities. - Educating others on the importance of accessibility and inclusion. - Engaging storytelling to foster empathy and understanding. 9. **Legal Rights and Protections**: - Overview of legal rights for people with disabilities. - How to navigate and advocate within legal frameworks. 10. **Mental Health and Well-being**: - Addressing the mental health challenges faced by people with disabilities. - Strategies for coping with stress and burnout. #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityAdvocate #GuestSpeaker #AdaptiveFashion #Inclusivity #HireMe

🎉 💓 Happy first #WisdomWednesday of Disability Pride month! We are excited at HP to celebrate this community and are committed to bringing necessary attention to all the work that still needs to be done. Check out this Forbes article, written by Keely Cat-Wells (Disability Rights Advocate and CEO of Making Space): https://lnkd.in/gS9grRRq Cat-Wells talks about the ways we can proactively make this world a more inclusive place for everybody. Here's a few we can all implement TODAY: 💰 Embed Accessibility in Every Budget: "Making accessibility a mandatory line item on every budget ensures that it becomes an inherent part of planning rather than an afterthought. This financial commitment underscores the importance of inclusivity and creates a structure to make all events, programs, and projects accessible to all." 💼 Inclusive Hiring Practices: "Disabled people should be hired for all roles, not just those specifically related to disability. This expands the scope of opportunities and allows Disabled individuals to bring their diverse perspectives to various aspects of the organization." 💭 💭 Discard Assumptions: "It's crucial not to assume what someone can or can not do or what they may or may not need. Disabilities can be non-apparent, and peoples access requirements can vary greatly. Encourage open conversations and avoid making assumptions about what someone can or cannot do based on their appearance." 📢 ✨ Amplify Disabled Voices: "Practice 'passing the mic' by giving Disabled people a platform to share their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives, and pay them for their time and expertise...Amplifying Disabled voices not only fosters representation but also allows these critical perspectives to reach a wider audience." What are some ways you are making your workplace more inclusive? #disabilitypride #inclusive #ally #leadership

Happy Disability Pride Month! Today I wanted to talk about the 10 Principles of Disability Justice, a framework created by Sins Invalid. Sins Invalid is a performance art and education group that use art, activism, and education to create spaces of healing, justice and liberation for disabled people who are Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx, queer, trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, gender expansive, and two-spirit. Here are the 10 principles in plain text created by Sins Invalid: 1. INTERSECTIONALITY “We do not live single issue lives” –Audre Lorde. Ableism, coupled with white supremacy, supported by capitalism, underscored by heteropatriarchy, has rendered the vast majority of the world “invalid.” 2. LEADERSHIP OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED “We are led by those who most know these systems.” –Aurora Levins Morales 3. ANTI-CAPITALIST POLITIC In an economy that sees land and humans as components of profit, we are anti-capitalist by the nature of having non-conforming body/minds. 4. COMMITMENT TO CROSS-MOVEMENT ORGANIZING Shifting how social justice movements understand disability and contextualize ableism, disability justice lends itself to politics of alliance. 5. RECOGNIZING WHOLENESS People have inherent worth outside of commodity relations and capitalist notions of productivity. Each person is full of history and life experience. 6. SUSTAINABILITY We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long term. Our embodied experiences guide us toward ongoing justice and liberation. 7. COMMITMENT TO CROSS-DISABILITY SOLIDARITY We honor the insights and participation of all of our community members, knowing that isolation undermines collective liberation. 8. INTERDEPENDENCE We meet each others’ needs as we build toward liberation, knowing that state solutions inevitably extend into further control over lives. 9. COLLECTIVE ACCESS As brown, black and queer-bodied disabled people we bring flexibility and creative nuance that go beyond able-bodied/minded normativity, to be in community with each other. 10. COLLECTIVE LIBERATION No body or mind can be left behind – only moving together can we accomplish the revolution we require. Disability justice helped me find wholeness on both a personal and coalitional level. It also speaks to the importance of building across difference with and within our communities. In LGBTQIA+ spaces I am disabled, and in disability spaces I am trans & gender non-conforming. Disability justice has gifted me the ability to rediscover my own wholeness. For those unfamiliar with disability justice, I highly encourage you to look into the work and resources by Sins Invalid. Disability is an intersection. An intersection founded in difference, it is a difference that embodies strength, patience, sustainability, risk taking, learning, and resilience when we allow it to be our teacher.

Introducing the ten things employers like you need to know about Disability Pride Month! Read on to learn about the symbolic design of the Disability Pride Flag, being an ally to your disabled colleagues and ways to participate in Pride Month. ·   What does the Disability Pride flag symbolise? The charcoal background represents protest and those in the disability community who have been subject to ableist violence. The diagonal straight band of colours is representative of the barriers people with disabilities face in their daily lives and their need to navigate them. It alludes to the idea of light cutting through the darkness. The five differently coloured stripes signify diversity and differing lived experiences within the disability community. Green for sensory disabilities, blue for mental health and cognitive disabilities, white for invisible or undiagnosed disabilities, gold for neurodiversity and red for physical disabilities. ·   Is Disability Pride linked to LGBTQIA+ Pride? The two observances have some shared aims: celebrating differences, visibly being our joyful authentic selves and challenging preconceptions for example, but they are not linked in any official way. ·   Can you be an ally to your disabled employees during Pride Month? The first thing you need to know is, you can be an ally to your disabled employees, and the wider community all year round. Being an ally goes much further than passive acceptance of disabled people and their needs. It involves active listening, learning about the issues that impact the community, using accurate language when talking about disabilities, promoting the voices of people with disabilities and most of all, challenging your belief systems and misconceptions. ·   How can you get involved in Disability Pride Month? Start with open and honest conversations about how your work environment can be more inclusive of, and accessible to people with disabilities. This might mean tackling the uncomfortable subjects of ableist behaviour and the lack of understanding around accommodations in your organisation, but trust us, the benefits of taking such a head-on approach will be felt company-wide for a long time to come. Remember, your disabled employees must be central to these conversations. Other ways you might participate include educating yourself on different disabilities and people’s lived experiences by engaging with disabled content creators on social media or asking disabled employees to play a central role in organising celebration events. ·   What is the theme for Disability Pride Month 2024? “We Want a Life Like Yours” is this year’s theme. It reflects on the disability community’s dreams for life experiences that physical access and attitudinal barriers all too often deny them. Contact Passion4Social today to learn more about being an inclusive supportive employer throughout Disability Pride Month and beyond. #DisabilityPride #WeWantALifeLikeYours #InclusiveEmployers

Happy National Disability Independence Day! 🎉 On this day, 34 years ago, the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, providing historic protections for people with disabilities and more equitable access to economic and civic opportunities. While the ADA has codified protections for millions of people with disabilities — prohibiting employment discrimination — and unemployment rates for people with disabilities have improved over the past decade, there is still a significant employment gap between people with and without disabilities. Salesforce remains committed to helping to close this gap. This year, for the sixth consecutive year, Salesforce has earned a top ranking on the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” list, published annually by global inclusion and equality nonprofit Disability:IN. Here are some of the ways we’re supporting employees with disabilities: 🌟 Programs: Through our Workforce Navigators Program, we’re able to support and enable programs that train professionals with disabilities, ensuring they are equipped with in-demand Salesforce skills and certifications.  🌟 Partnerships: Our ongoing partnerships with organizations like the Valuable 500 have been especially important as we work to end disability exclusion. 🌟 Products: We’re committed to product inclusion and aspire to drive innovation by including individuals with disabilities throughout the development process, highlighting voices that are often excluded in traditional design processes. 🌟 People: Listening to our employees is key. Members of Abilityforce — our Equality Group that unites people with visible and invisible disabilities, employees with loved ones who are disabled, and allies — are helping us cultivate a culture where all employees feel empowered by their abilities and talents.