I am president for the american percent your progress im honored to welcome all of you to todays event. As you know this is the 29th anniversary of the day of the ada was signed into law. This led part one landmark piece of legislation that millions of americans cannot be denied a job simply with a disability. It is also the reason they are guaranteed the same basic rights as every other person across the country from schools and shopping malls to Public Schools and restaurants. There is no question that over the past 29 years our nation has broken down many obstacles which used to confront those with disabilities but we still have a long path to travel that american with disabilities have fully achieved quality and justice. This moment one hour at five live below the poverty line and is too often the case and then from marginalized communities including women and people of color who continue to suffer the most. Recent events have a painful reminder the disabled community continues to face deep divisions based on issues of race and gender. Everyone in this room recognizes the time for disabled americans every background can come together for everybody within the Progressive Community because entering the white house has had a sweeping assault on disability rights. This administration has threatened regulation introduced by the department of education under obama to protect people of color and his allies in congress with the critical disregard. Here for the center of American Progress we understand opportunities is the intersection of nearly every issue recover from education to health care and criminal Justice Reform and the environment. Last year we were proud to have launched our initiative , the first dedicated disability project of any major thing taken the country. We are proud of everything our team has accomplished me look forward to the work they will do. That they were thrilled to release a new report for Economic Security for people love respond dash responsibility that every one had a fair shot to assign dignity. s and out to the keynote speaker at amazing leader toward advancing this exact mission claudia gorman. Vice president of assess ability but before assuming her current role she was sad spending seven years but also is a trailblazer of her own right in American History to graduate from law school and we are so grateful she could join us please give a warm round of applause. [applause] clerk. Good morning everyone. Happy 80th anniversary. It is truly an honor to be here with all of you. It is the Disability Justice institute. But i was here watching the program getting inaugurated on complicit. But now and then the amazing young lady. Your name preceded you. We could finally meet you. Congratulations but then the Educational Attainment and did not go beyond eighth grade. The society and the system that operated as designed without any interruption in that next test would surely be drastically different. It would not be the economically independent educated lawyer and advocates and then to include someone who has worked in Senior Leadership position in the nonprofit sector. In the federal government. Thats why i work at the white house in that so without those systems and of this would be possible today. I still shudder when i think about what my life would be like for me today. And those that are reserved for people like me to look at intersection of multiple marginalized patients so 1980 on another day, overnight. And then i needed to figure out my life and my worth and my destiny. Or so they thought. I spent my time twiddling my thumbs and doing housework but a hardworking single mom i could emigrate to new york where i could continue my education for the school for the death the death. But even there i was still forced to disrupt. They fit a social number that i happen to not fit. And i spoke about that topic and i still talk about that what it feels like to be an outsider within. So the example mentioned today is i have just too many to mention i hated. I absolutely hated. Theres nothing wrong with working at mcdonalds but i knew i was regulated to the worst shift and the most foul disgusting duties like having to watch all the pile of dirty dishes after breakfast and always clean the bathroom. I have to think mcdonalds. So when they came up with that notion yes i will definitely settle for this. This is cool. I know that i was destined for more. For better. They were very leery of her leaving me for four year college. She looked at me and said i was capable but i was not worthy of that investment from my mom that maybe i may have minor learning disability. But my mom and i were recently moved to the country. But we just continue to press forward. My desire to go to howard university. We keep that fire with us for that support that we need and deserve. And i graduated with honors by the way. There are so many stories that i could share today served to and lower expectations. Would eat them with this dash with even that system. Its harmful and then there are others that affect fund the unfitness on finish business of the ada. Things do organizations that i see my former office of obama federal complete program but with the Obama Administration we believe in those who happen to her great profit from taxpayer dollars. That means hiring , accommodating and promoting people with abilities. Including adding 7 percent ethical but to wage the range bill. Then raise the minimum wage also play 2025 the first time in the house of the senate, now we have a vote to get rid of that archaic requirement to allow players to pay people the minimum wage so, parade for that. But this is progress people at disability deserve an equal wage for their work. So now with ada and that as a grownup and with this joint society and with these accommodations and then to never even know any different i meet young and deaf people reminding them once upon a time you didnt have an iphone in your pocket when you could text people. I had to call my mom and a pay phone to come get me. [laughter] now young people 29 years dont know about these basic things and take them for granted. Because it is not the norm. They dont know any different. But when they decide to enter the market, too many of them find that door is so close. We must continue to push the door open and leave it open. Our youth and young adults will go as their hard work but the strength of our work ethic and but also i am reminded of doctor Martin Luther king. He understood the simple truth that social justice is in the dna that brought us here. That is social justice. So without economic opportunit opportunity, think about that. Because the laws and regulations and bills hand policies are just words on a piece of paper. And too many with inter communities to this way led but when they try to get a foot in the door and then for Financial Security that can come from having a good job. And lets be clear and also fixing all of those other problems like healthcare sing, transportation but the point is whether or not they had which means they cannot get to work but we cannot just focus on an employment of population. So it is not simply about disability agenda. But paid family leave. Child care. Become parents, caregivers, as well as us but in closing yes, yes, but harvest cannot always happen in a Straight Line but federal discourse but then with that rhetoric that we must not considering the others. But after all talk about disability issues, republican parents and children with disabilities share the same hope, dream, and aspirations as parents without disabilities. The all of their children to grow up and be capable and selfreliant and a working member of society. And that their children will grow up and will be recognized for their inherent selfworth and values. I believe our collective commitment is what will continue to transform the ada promise and it will become a reality. I believe it and in fact i know it because look around. I see all of you here and it is overwhelming. So i will depend on our work so thank you all and cat and rebecca all that you do and all the advocacy that happens in this room even. Thank you. Lead on. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] good morning. Happy ada. Want to start off i was the director of the Disability Justice initiative here in first i want to start off by thanking you for an amazing kickoff. Both of your support to this work into this team has been so meaningful we could not do it without folks like you who rally around us dally on daily with the important work ahead. And our panel comes with a variety of experience implementing the economic stability space we have the founder and this is week one flexibility which is a search from targeting seniorlevel folks it is phenomenal and the first of its kind to focus on the senior sector. So congratulations. And the managing director of poverty to Prosperity Team the center for American Progress carrie wade the director of programs with American Center of people disabilities and deal carter is the cofounder of new view consulting. Lets be honest. This has been an exciting week for the Disability Community forgot but if we are really honest these were things that have been festering for a long time. We heard claudia address it so while we know we have far to go, any framing is an economic narrative around what true Economic Empowerment were to look like and doesnt take into account the various intersections whether head in disabilities or disclosure are those who live at the intersection of dealing with racism, homophobia, we know that this isnt new but how have you seen for this to come up in your own career path. I would say that although i am woman and also with Cerebral Palsy it is always been a part of my white on my life but actually my experience of the workplace has largely been wine privilege dealing with whiteness as well as economic status. I come from a middleclass family and everybody is collegeeducated and sought if you will go to college but where and how prestigious. I come from and interesting standpoint that i really didnt have to think about my disability as a factor of my Life Experience and certainly in the employment context until i was in my mid twenties that was framed as a personal thing that i had to navigate and you just have to find a different way to do things and do the same thing as all of your peers but also it did get me off the book in any real way especially coming with employment status. So i have a very skewed because my dominant experience is one of privilege but somebody who has faith based initiatives that my current employer, because you can have participants of color what percent is people of color, but ive never had been invited to a system that is bought for four white person but does not provide for everyone as it is supposed to provide for. And but to make sure that we are addressing the two understand but i dont see disability. Were all in this but then to understand the so that we walk into the spaces and true or false education and confronted but also and i may not be afforded the same level of grace now but if i work twice as hard that is a surefire way to land but the active resistance is just to show up but then i have the responsibility in the ability but the way of the input bias that they are producing institutions and policies that reimburse dash reimburse the basis because i am alive. And particularly being in a space where entrepreneur for most of my life. So talking about that. But then to recognize that with ames number two they are listing for a bit through myself not to be too concerned when my friends and family think of where i should operate or what will a nation in fridge part but in my line of work i do not have a direct mentor who could speak to my experience. Thank you. So how do the issues, we have a continual debate whether they coming out with the disability agenda . And then we fight for inclusion. We want to be included along everybody else. Also segregated disability issues. Even those that work with her on that report sought to think about how does this fit in the context of the broader Agenda Setting narrative right now . How do you think that works . How do we so what it comes down to is to make sure that the spaces in the conversation and especially the agenda that that you have really fun and also understanding that. It has to be consistent and that is its and it has to be the ongoing conversation in order for the landscape to change that with those people love economic disabilities i will not go through all of the points but i encourage everyone but i grew up in a family of black women so i tend to be a storyteller at heart. But then leave to that Flexible Work but i could commute forward to a tunnel of years could not care for him. My mother had a lumpectomy because of paid leave the ability to take leave and i could be with her and care for her in the time. That is not good policy because i have a disability but because there are americans all across the country here in the decisions but that was done in partnership with a lot of the teams here who recognize if we are truly going to be advancing the Progressive Agenda it is inclusive of people with disabilities, but it is good policy for all workers but i will always say to people that the phrase disability issues is my least favorite so it gives an excuse to separate the community from everyone which is to your point. And to say that if we remove that framework, certain issues are. Paradigm shift quick. And Second Nature that is in obvious flight but then once we arrived to understand that closing that gap or making the change will offer descriptive but then to have small wind like a major victory and now its not enough. And i you have to have the platforms. It is about the inclusion across the board whether that be wage and hour or childcare or living independent, its time to have inclusion but then to meet them for the first time to say this Immigration Rights are a disability cost but this vc to follow the ada and to see conversations and we have but then to say oh we need to get on this. So what was the impetus . So previous policy laid on the ground to get there but more of a social impetus . Probably a little bit of both. There was certainly a push but when we talk about policy and the pastor Going Forward, part of the problem is there are many other intersections to speak of. But depending on what the policy issue is. But then to lift up that voice and protect the voice because coming with empowering also believable is trolling and vitriolic and anger and the negative response and why are you talking about this . Wire you separating . So okay. So now lets go over to carry. Youre wrapping up the latest year of ada Internship Program. You work very closely obviously with the whole cohort with the latest generation of leaders not emerging leaders because they have clearly emerged. We are not sending them back home but to have these conversations around the nexus of gen x and millennials. So what do you think out of this next generation of disabled leaders, what are they focusing on and. Looking at the careers they want to have and the life they want to lead. Have they ever emerged quick. Working with this cohort of interns has been an incredible learning experience for me as a leader in a teaching moment and thats why the Internship Program should always have then and now is coming closer to reach that ideal the people we are working closely with which are the interns they drive our culture what we are focusing on as an Organization Im heartened to see this cohort is very into organizational change. Adp interns actually apply for the internship in washington dc. So this is not coming across every young person that existed. So what sticks out to me about the young folks i have been working with in recent years as they dont view the silo as any sense. They see every issue applying to them to want accessibility at the very least to be baked in from the very beginning instead of a grand achievement. So that mindset is really at the forefront but the other way around we are everywhere so what are you doing for us. So in terms of employment a lot of them come here and dont want anything to do with disability policy specifically what they want their workspace to be outside that Disability Community their arguments to be made for exposing people specifically and also an argument to be made to break that silo to get us out where historically we have been underrepresented. That a lot of different organizations and agencies that they would call disability inclusive hiring. Leadership there can be an idea theyre hiring us because it is the right thing to do like in the moral fiber thats why you make the higher and the value we bring to the workplace are things like our loyalty and resilience. I am not your golden retriever i am your employee. But i am good at my job i will move on eventually. You need to support that not just because i didnt have another option. You see that more and those companies that havent had allied of exposure they will bump up against this person is coming in here and not giving me a cookie. Why are you telling me what a good job i am doing quick so getting away from that idea of the value of the disabled people to be feelgood to give me a substantive job but to see our value more than the boost we have historically given people. So now i will turn it over to you. Congratulations on the launch of flexibility this week while we have historically seen the frontline workers and entrylevel staff. So let me start with the story i was surrounded by incredibly smart people. Corporate actors who have the bandwidth with the Walgreens Distribution Center program. That was ten years ago that was important that had momentum and one year ago linda made me angry ten years later and it made me angry we are eating our Chicken Salad accepting the status quo. And idealism and with that flexibility and with that social impact we are a for Profit Benefit Corporation but this is a talent resource and money to be made and to be had as we are as a community not just the executive search but entrylevel and midlevel. If they have a partner i know we have to do this differently and then to have uncommon conversations. And then have to do it in a different way. And those businesses that care and they will have that space with the snowing i am excited so what have you taken into consideration . Or as a conglomerate somewhere quick. Not by membership or leadership organizations looking to transition out but then the folks say who did you knock over or push out of the way . What motivation to your question did you say no before you decided to get into the space quick. I didnt recognize it candidates and campaigns but with those firms that i did i tried to make sure that when i started i had been taken advantage of more now than i am now and to recognize or to have the wherewithal to understand the difference with those inclusive spaces to speak and to be the black disabled guy in a mostly white space. And then to see i have to play simultaneously and to do so we have to make sure that while we blazed the trail i am creating space and making space for others. But to say we have so many considerations and that is why a lot of membership organizations in my industry you dont have to pay to be on it but previously you did. Or you dont have to be a part of the organization previously im sorry you did but now that you are black and disabled to say i have always been here. [laughter] but i recognize i am creating space while also but making space is also being available for conversations like this one. And that is part of the problem. And then to segment ourselves out by pitting different parts of our community against each other rather than to say we were the allinclusive space. What are your thoughts about the structural policy changes to really make an impact with paid leave and sick leave so paying attention to the availability of leave her workers not only for their families, and their bloodlines but i want to go back to highlight because it has to be stated again because last week was a historic occasion because the chamber actually voted to raise the minimum wage and that was a big deal but they also voted to eliminate the provision of the fair labor standards act that allows us to continue to pay people with this one possibilities and by allowing a system to persist to codify in statute then to have a permanent underclass of people with disabilities. We are contributing to the attitudinal barriers in the physical barriers that prevent us for justice so some of the structural barriers and with that economic agenda and in a perfect ideal world and in one year will be celebrating the 30h anniversary of ada. And with those recommendations. We can point to but to adopt these provisions because they are good for individuals across the country regardless of where you are or who you are with race and gender sexuality and disability. So those are a couple of things. If you could go back in time but then to sign the bill into law even going further back before was codified. And then at that access. 29 years later and then from some minimum wage so under that administration i can remember and then to take myself back in with that act that was signed until the time and those that were not in the moon planned and that it did not have a level of checks and balances at the time. But it wasnt that the passage of the time wasnt taken seriously but if you look at the disability leadership and advocacy looked like back then versus now, you would say 29 years later, now we have to recognize that disability space has changed and grown and adapted. Back then it was mostly male to male and now it is not so those that are at the table and those we bring to the table were vastly different from 29 years ago. So we have to sit at those multiple intersections to make sure they are represented. So when we talk about going back because the Current Administration campaign taking the country back into a certain extent they did and we are still dealing with that. There are previous administrations prior that that can be addressed at on another panel. [laughter] but as far as Going Forward and not looking back, we have to make sure when bringing other people to the table that there is a consistent accountability to what the accessibility table looks like. It doesnt look like it did 29 years ago. There is some real work 100 percent but between then and now is a pairing of our hearts and Minds Campaign real money for storytelling because when you walk into schools to tell a story of intersection a la the to change hearts and minds and attitude paired legislation spin again thinking about retrospectively but something i have been grappling with recently into bistro still driven by fear. So if we go back to start the fight and start to advocate for the policy as the floor versus the aspiration we can lose we have gained thats where we have conversations about where the ada has been for us and where it still needs to be keeping from True Conversations and what that has done for all people to peel back those layers and how that might have been amazing but it has not done what it needed to do where all individuals can be successful. Anything i would do would just be a combination. But the one specific thing and also how that is used against students in particular but then i would question that was the thing is a ideological shift. But i see that as the floor and not the ceiling spirit the last thing i want to add is want to recognize the presence of somebody in the room, doctor jordan from university and with the activism and really over the last month and then to have that leadership that is the same fight to be reenacted we have a right to choose leadership that represents values in our communities that we try to divide us. And that that leadership of the movement with the passion and intelligence of the young people. And so before we go to q a to recognize the importance to highlight and that is reflected in the leadership. Do we have questions cracks. Hello. I work with a group that supports entrepreneurs with disabilities im happy to see entrepreneurs on the panel. I would argue it is a way to equalize the Playing Field specifically with disabilities how we live our lives and so curious if your thoughts on entrepreneurship and Workforce Development so moves the needle forward on the unemployment. So what is access to capital . And those are sustainable growing businesses and that it matters and is taken seriously it is one avenue to make sure at the same time that chooses to grow and open up as well. With Workforce Development it is a matter of addressing not just create space to make sure the capital is there but also to make sure that they remain available and consistent because opportunities, and to make sure that they are not disability specific opportunities as well. Because thats part of the issue as well. Rather than saying those that are properly qualified. And then to make sure there are multiple positions and also to make sure they are not disability specific. I would just agree what they said it is clearly demonstrated so we have to be careful not to amplify that example and the privilege that you carry with you because of your family connections. Happy ada. So this is very partisan and on time but the ada was signed by president bush and for those who worked on the ada , how do you go into this environment where you talk about why should they be around ten or 15 years from now . Whatever it is. I worry about that. In an age we should not be afraid to have these conversations but the problem is they are so stoked within the space in general that we are afraid to have those continued conversations so we live with the fear and to be honest that was prior to who occupied the white house for certain folks including myself so while that was rested in me and i recognize in order to progress forward that ada is part of the conversation we have to make sure it is consistently happening we cant just rest on our laurels to say its our anniversary and then walk away and expect the conversation to not happen. Whether it is Disability Awareness month or not we have to insist to not be afraid to have these conversations. And the fact it was passed under bipartisan leadership and its important to remember that last year the lead sponsors are title iii of the ada so its important to have a holistic take on who was with us have we have that shared dignity of what they are capable of and not just with those that we expect if they are not with us and how do we have those tough conversations with those lining with values or perspectives but instead with the money makers. I am on the board of the council for people with disabilities what about the over 50 crowd quick. That is an important question and all sides of the spectrum that all of us in this room that does not age you out there are chapters and phases and stages regardless of the age. With the rhetoric and then that administration and with the agency they didnt need to be in power because they had power. But disabled community did not like the word enable. They like in power and loving elders on the Disability Community because of changes of healthcare this isnt a conversation we have had so what are your conferences like that this is a really dead crowd but then prohibit very hard to find a doctor who treats polio in the united states. Because they dont learn how to treat polio anymore but i really do think it is that challenge around the economic conversation but for those who cant work how do we look at the report that we pull together . So thank you for joining us joining our team here at the residential senior fellow was a founder creator of the tory is and also working with us with work we are very excited about but also to take a moment for a team to pull this together and then to work with highly qualified and passionate in the Editorial Team and they are there and then to take a moment to think to our interpreter and cart providers. They were very clear to tell me they want to be a leader in the space not just the content we produce but also to set the bar in terms of accessibility for all of our events and publicly and we do it. Thank you for joining us today. [applause] [inaudible conversations] ics. This is just over two hours. Ms. Roybalallard thank you for your patience and willingness to stay until 4 00 given the votes we had. We appreciate it. Today we welcome matthew albens, acting direct tore of i. C. E. As we continue to monitor the challenging situation on the southern border, we look