katherine lewis’ Post

#DisabilityLeadership 🌍 Amplifying Voices for an Inclusive Future 🎉 Today, we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities! This year’s theme, “Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future,” is a reminder of the power of representation and agency. 💪 Leadership Matters: When persons with disabilities lead, entire communities thrive. They’re not just advocating for their own rights—they’re paving the way for a more just, sustainable world for all. 🌍 Breaking Barriers: Disability inclusion isn’t charity—it’s a necessity for equity. Did you know that every $1 invested in universal health care for persons with disabilities generates a $10 return? That’s a future worth building. 🫂 Together, We Thrive: A truly inclusive world uplifts everyone. Let’s stand united to prioritize accessibility, amplify voices, and ensure leadership from within the disability community. 👉 Swipe through to learn more and take action for a more inclusive tomorrow. #WeAreManushyan ♾️ Equal Human Beings #DisabilityRights #InclusiveFuture #DisabilityInclusion #IntersectionalEquity #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #SustainableDevelopment #DisabilityLeadership #AmplifyVoices #AccessibilityForAll #TogetherForInclusion #HumanRights

This image has been shared many times over the weekend by advocates, as it should. Regardless of your views, the recent cover of The Economist, depicting a mobility device and questioning ability, is ableism. This kind of imagery perpetuates the old tired myth that someone who uses a mobility device cannot be effective. It shapes public perception on how society values the disabled lived experience. Reminder👇🏼 ✔️ Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of our country’s greatest presidents, led the nation through its toughest times using mobility aids, including a wheelchair. ✔️ Helen Keller was a notable author, activist, and lecturer who was both blind and deaf, co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). ✔️ Judith Heumann was a global disability rights advocate who was instrumental in creating and implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). With over a billion disabled people globally, let's not forget that disability is our common ground NOT the thing that separates us. Ableism in media and politics reinforces negative perceptions about people living with disabilities, ultimately leading to policies and a society that neglect, exclude, and limit us. It's time for a change in this outdated narrative because in the end it benefits all of us. 💡 Join in: What are your thoughts on how we can challenge ableism and promote a more inclusive society? #Inclusion #Diversity #Ableism #Leadership #DisabilityAwareness #Disability #RepresentationMatters #Advocacy #TheEconomist #Ableism

Disability inclusion is a crucial part of building a more equitable society. We all have a role to play in creating a world where everyone is valued and respected, regardless of their abilities. Here are some simple steps we can each take to promote disability inclusion in our communities: 💚 Educate ourselves: Take the time to learn about disability issues and the experiences of people with disabilities. This can help us understand the barriers they face and how we can be more inclusive. 💚 Challenge ableism: Speak out against ableism whenever you encounter it. Ableism is the discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities, and it can take many forms. By challenging ableism, we can help create a more inclusive society. 💚 Support disability-led organisations: There are many organisations run by and for people with disabilities that are working to promote inclusion and equality. 💚 Consider supporting these organisations with your time, money, or other resources. 💚 Be an ally: If you don't have a disability yourself, you can still be an ally to people with disabilities. This means listening to their experiences, amplifying their voices, and advocating for their rights and needs. ❤️ Let's work together to create a more inclusive world for everyone! Attend our Interagency Meeting online the first Tuesday of the month and join the discussion. Book now at https://www.wholewarriornetwork/events #ndisnetwork #wholewarriornetwork #event #interagencymeeting #inclusion #ndis #royalcommission #prejudice #discrimination #humanrights #disabilityrights #love

Disability inclusion is a crucial part of building a more equitable society. We all have a role to play in creating a world where everyone is valued and respected, regardless of their abilities. Here are some simple steps we can each take to promote disability inclusion in our communities: 💚 Educate ourselves: Take the time to learn about disability issues and the experiences of people with disabilities. This can help us understand the barriers they face and how we can be more inclusive. 💚 Challenge ableism: Speak out against ableism whenever you encounter it. Ableism is the discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities, and it can take many forms. By challenging ableism, we can help create a more inclusive society. 💚 Support disability-led organisations: There are many organisations run by and for people with disabilities that are working to promote inclusion and equality. 💚 Consider supporting these organisations with your time, money, or other resources. 💚 Be an ally: If you don't have a disability yourself, you can still be an ally to people with disabilities. This means listening to their experiences, amplifying their voices, and advocating for their rights and needs. ❤️ Let's work together to create a more inclusive world for everyone! Attend our Interagency Meeting online the first Tuesday of the month and join the discussion. Book now at https://www.wholewarriornetwork/events #ndisnetwork #wholewarriornetwork #event #interagencymeeting #inclusion #ndis #royalcommission #prejudice #discrimination #humanrights #disabilityrights #love

An interesting and important perspective to consider about disability perception.

One the eve of IDPD 2024, sharing my introductory post to flag off the 3rd edition of the #IDPDbloghop. Look forward to reading and sharing posts of my fellow bloggers. This year I am proud to have more than 30 bloggers and advocates come together to share their voices through this Blog Hop. Each with their own experience and perspective. We have a mix of bloggers, influencers, People with Disabilities (PwD), Caregivers (such as myself), people who work with PwD, disability advocates and those who support the cause. Through their words, they will explore the nuances of disability inclusion: the triumphs, the setbacks, and the ongoing efforts to create a more equitable future. Disability inclusion isn’t just a concept—it’s a daily commitment to ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully. Follow this link as I post narratives and perspectives of my fellow bloggers for the next 18 days - till December 20th. Read, engage and share these posts and become a disability advocate yourself. #IDPDBlogHop2024 #disabilityadvocacy https://lnkd.in/dV5APFEX

When you’re the only disabled team member and end up having to drive the whole disability inclusion agenda for your company (often alongside your actual job…) 🙄 Whether it’s at the hands of unintentional ignorance or downright discrimination, raising awareness should not solely be the responsibility of the marginalised community. And it’s not just an issue for disabled employees. Sadly still, every day disabled customers, candidates or users are left to spend limited energy raising and fixing issues that shouldn’t ever have been able to happen in the first place. Having to consistently advocate, educate and be seen as that “difficult disabled person” is exhausting and can have so many impacts for teams. Here’s to the non-disabled allies and employers that DO continually step up, educate and authentically drive the agenda. And to those “I’m just XYZ, this isn’t my problem” that are waiting for someone else to quietly take on the mantle of accountability, please don’t wait for disability to personally touch your life to start caring. Here’s to educating each other and ourselves, always. #DisabilityAwareness #DisabledLife #ableism #EducateDontDiscriminateVideo GIF description: Caption reads ‘When you call someone out for ableism and end up having to educate them as the only disabled team member’. Below is the viral video of Ryan Gosling’s confused reaction to his ‘I’m just Ken’ award win, looking shocked, baffled and not quite sure what’s going on as he claps… Meme is on Patchwork Hub’s Purple background with handle and logo.

Today marks the start of #DisabilityPrideMonth, a time when we honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. People with disabilities make up the largest and most diverse minority group in the United States, representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds. Disability Pride challenges the assumptions made about what disabled people can and can’t accomplish while calling for the recognition of basic human rights. Learn more about Disability Pride on eVero Outreach blog --> https://lnkd.in/en2QFkzm

We are now in late July, and well into #DisabilityPrideMonth. Though there have been many wonderful posts shared on LinkedIn that demonstrate respect and appreciation for the disability community, I have observed that different entities, including numerous institutions of higher learning have not acknowledged Disability Pride Month. It is imperative especially for educational organizations to serve as catalysts towards achieving full inclusion of people with disabilities—for generations living now in the present and in the future. No, it is not enough to recognize women, people of color, immigrant, and the LGBTQIA+ communities. We are here, too (and are in fact members of all of those other communities). This is a call to ending the public erasure of disabled people. If you are non-disabled, I challenge you to think deeply about what life would be like if you became disabled today. On a human level, would you feel less of a person if you did? Could you break through your own ableist views to understand that life has purpose while disabled? There is still work to do. For the non-disabled: The ball is in your court.