Transcripts For CSPAN2 Center For American Progress Discussion On Disabled Workers 20240714

Was signed into law. This landmark piece of legislation is the reason that millions of americans cannot be denied a job simply because they live with a disability. And its also the reasons that americans with disabilities are guaranteed the same basic rights as every other person welcomeded to spaces across our country. From our schools, shopping malls, 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 people with disabilities. But the truth is that we still have a long path to travel before we can finally say that americans with disabilities has fully achieved equality and justice. At this moment. More than one out of every five disabled americans live below the poverty line, and as is too often the case, it is people from traditionally marginalized communities, including women and people of color who continue to suffer the most. A painful reminder, the disabled community, like our nation as a whole. Ron face deep issues on race and gender. I bet everyone in the room recognizes this is a time of disabled americans of every background come to fight devalue share by everyone in the progressive community. Thats since entering the white house, President Trump has helped lead a sweeping assault on disability rights. His mission has threatened regulations by the department, under president obama to protect students of color and his allies in congress tried to overturn critical safeguards of the ada. Here at the center for American Progress, we understand that expanding opportunities for americans with disability from the issues we cover, education, health care, criminal Justice Reform to the environment. Thats why last year launched the first dedicated disability project at any think tank in the country. Were impulsely proud of everything our team has flished under the relationship or rebecca, and the work that we will do. And today were thrilled to release an advancing Economic Security for people with disability which strives to ensure that every american living with disability has a fair shot at finding success and dignity. Now i have the great pleasure of turning the program over to our keynote speaker for the morning. An amazing leader shes had her career toward this exact mission. Claudia gordon. Claudas charged with limiting Communications Barriers for americans living with disabilities. Before her current role, she served for seven years within the administration of barack obama, advising the president on disability parties and acting as a lee ahsan. And as the first deaf, black woman in american history, she graduated from law school and were so grateful that she could join us this morning. So please help me give a warm round of applause to ms. Clauda gord gordon. [applaus [applause] great. Good morning, everyone. So many familiar faces here. Happy 88, 29th anniversary i always look forward to this time of year. Its truly an honor to be here with all of you, and thank you so much for that introduction. Happy one year anniversary, to the Disability Justice institute. Remember one year ago today, i with as here watching the excitement of this program getting inaugurated and completely unprecedented in our community to have some sort of organization like this fighting for our rights. So also, congratulations to that for the amazing work thats happened so far. Want to recognize Rebecca Coakley for her leadership and now id like to add on to that, the three of us, former Obama Administration colleagues, our Journey Continues together because of our passion in this cause. And i also would like to recognize the amazing young lady, iva, your name precedes you and we finally got to meet today. Congratulations on this report that youve created. I dont have a lot of time. We have an incredible panel coming up so i will try to be bri brief. So in keeping with the theme of the report i want to talk about myself as a black woman, an immigrant to this country from the Beautiful Island of jamaica, to the rough inner city streets of bronx, new york. That was in 1980 no, 1983. Moved to new york, south bronx. Im the product of a single mother whose educational attainments, they didnt go beyond eighth grade. If society and the system had operated as designed without any disruption or disruption, i would not be here today. In fact, my life would surely be drastically different. I would not be the economically independent, taxpaying, educated lawyer and disability rights activist advocate that i am today much less both a resume that includes someone who has worked in Senior Leadership position in the nonprofit sector. In the federal government, thats where i worked at the white house and currently in the private sector. Without that disruption to the system of oppression, none of those things would be possible today. I still shudder when you think about what my life would be like for me today. If i hadnt have been able to escape the compounded oppression, particularly reserved for people like me, who just happen to live at that intersection of multiple marginalizati marginalization. From the day i still remember, 1980 just overnight i lost that ability to hear. Society seemed to figure out my life and my words, my destiny. Or so they thought. For example, i was removed from school. I was kept at home in isolation. I just spent my time twiddling my thumbs and doing housework and other tasks, but thanks to my hardworking single mom i was obviously to move to new york and finally continue their education at a school for the deaf. Even there i was still forced to disrupt the myths that were used to justify the unequality treatment. I was denied rights and privileges. For those who, even though they were deaf like me, they fit a certain social norm that i happened to not fit. I did an entire tedex talk about owning otherness and i spoke about that topic. And i still talk about that today, what it feels like to be an outsider within. So the example that will be mentioned today, well, a few examples, i have just too many to mention, but looking back on high school and my experience this there, i was told i should probably go to a local community college, i might be able to work at Something Like mcdonalds, eventually. Little did that School Counsellor know i did work at mcdonalds, but my time was i hated, absolutely hated. Theres nothing worried about working at mcdonalds, but i knew that i was relegated to the worst shift and disgusting duties having to wash the pile of dirty dishes after breakfast shift ended, having to always clean the bathro bathroom. So i have to thank mickey ds. They held me back from the cool stuff flipping the hamburgers or making the french fries. So when the counsellor came up with that nation i might have thought, oh, hey, yes, ill definitely settle for this. This is cool, but, no. I knew i was destined for more, for better the. My vocational rehabilitation counsel counsellor obviously as a person with disability i was eligible for vocally head support and she was adamant about me going to a fouryear college. She looked at me and thought i was capable, or not capable or worthy of that investment when it was time to based on my diagnosis and assessment, maybe i might have a mild learning disability, but thankfully, my mom and i as i am and as an immigrant, what that meant, with my stubbornness and desire to go to howard university. We kept that fire with us and thought for the support that i would need and that i deserved. And i did enroll in howard and i graduated with honors, by the way. There are so many stories at that i could share today, but those two really simply serve to illustrate society and the different systemic pervasive low expectations in education and employment, for people with disabilities. Even within those very systems, theyre designed to serve us. That oppression exists. Its harmful. Today were celebrating the 29th anniversary of the signing of the ada. Employment, Economic Opportunity and empowerment thats the Unfinished Business of the ada. There are others, but really, thats one of the key Unfinished Businesses of the ada. Thanks to organizations like cap and many of you here in the room today, i see my former colleagues off the oobcp. Obamas compliance, because under the Obama Administration we believe that a federal contractor or subcontractor who happens to earn great profits from taxpayer dollars, they should play by the rules. That means hiring, accommodating and promoting people with disabilities. Therefore, we set out an Ambitious Mission to strengthen that regulation, including adding 7 as the goal because what gets measured gets done. I was heartened by the recent passage of the raise the wage bi bill. With the goal to increase federal minimum wage to 15 an hour by 2025 and for the First Time Ever in the house or the senate now we have a vote to get rid of that, oh, that subminimal wage, that archaic requirement that allows employers to pay people that subminimum wage. Sometimes pennies. So, hurry for that. We still have more work for that bill, to get that passed in the senate, but this is progress. People with disabilities deserve an equal wage for their work. Now with ada being 29 years old when i think about that, you have to realize thats an entire generation, a whole generation of young people who have grown up in this country with access to education. The ability to participate in public accommodations and really gin join owe site to join society. Theyve never known any different. I meet young deaf people, at one time you didnt have a cell phone, an iphone in your pocket to text with people. I had to call my sister or my mom on a pay phone to come get me. You remember. [laughter] now, young people 29 years, they dont know about these basic things that they take for granted. Because its now the norm. They dont know any different. But when they decide to enter the job market too many of them find that door is still closed. We must continue to help push that door open and leave it open. Our youth and young adults deserve a chance to go as far as their hard work will take them. I like to quote president obama. He tends to really stress this quote. He said here in america success should not depend on the circumstances of birth, but the strength of our work ethics and the scope of our dreams. And also, i am reminded of dr. Martin luther king, he understood the simple truth that social justice that something in the dna that brought us here is that social justice. But social Justice Without Economic Opportunity is meaningless. You have to think about that. Civil rights must complement and align with real Economic Opportunity, otherwise the laws, the registrations, the bills, the policies, theyre just words on a piece of paper. Too many within our Community Still today are led to feel that the American Dream is just an empty promise. Because theres so many hurdles, so many barriers in their way. When they try to get even just a foot in the door to start gaining Financial Security, that can come from having a good job. And lets be clear on somethi something, truly improving the Financial Security and wellbeing of people with disabilities means then also pushing beyond just jobs, but also fixing all of those other problems, like health care, housing, transportation, so then employment isnt dependent on those things, whether or not they have them or dont have them, which means they can or cannot get to work. They have to work hand in hand. So we cant just focus solely on employment in isolation and i believe that the report released today addresses that topic. So its not simply about disability agenda. Its really much more holistic than that. What are the things that we need, that north America Needs like paid family leave, child care. People with disabilities need that as well. Womens issues, disability issues, theres an intersection there. We become parents, caregivers, as well, just like anyone else. We need that holistic approach. It is necessary for us to stand with people with disabilities and advance this economy, we need that. In closing, yes, today were living in an unprecedented challenging time, but its important to remember before progre progress, progress cant always happen in a straight line. Progress often feels like one step forward two steps back. Civil discourse is vital to our success. And those who seek to inflame our public opinion, to demeaning offensive comment tri and rhetoric, will only end up demeaning themselves. Reasonable people can see a problem and come up with different approaches to solve the problem. We wont always agree. We wont always be on the same page, but we must strive to be agreeab agreeable. After all, when we think about disability issues, republican parents of children with disabilities share the same hopes hopes, dreams and aspirations as democrat ic children of parents with disabilities and really, all parents. They all want their children to be able to grow up and be capable, selfreliant, and a working member of society. And that their children will grow up, will be recognized for their inhent, sel inherent values. I believe that will continue to transform the ada promise and it will become a reality. I believe it. In fact, i know it because look around. I see all of you here and its overwhelming. Failure, giving up, thats not an option for us. Too many lives depend on this and depend on our work. So thank you all. Thank you cap, rebecca, thank you for all that you do, all the advocacy that happens in this room even. Thank you. Lead on. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] morning. Happy 88. I want to start off, my name is rebecca cokley. Im the director of the nation. The center for American Progress here first i wanted to start off by just thinking neera and claudia for an amazing kickoff. Both of your support to this work, to this team has been so meaningful since its inception. We couldnt do it without folks like you around about this daily mmi as of the important work both that weve done and the work we have ahead here id love to introduce our amazing panel that comes with a variety of types of experience in the employment and economics abilities based as it relates to the experience of americans with disabilities. Starting with with Crosby Cromwell who is the founder and as this day one . This is week one of flexibility, which is a search firm targeting seniorlevel folks with disabilities in todays of color which is phenomenal. Its the first of its kind to focus on the senior sector which i know a number of us are really thrilled to see that launched this week so congratulations, crosby. Taryn williams, this is a first trip to even come up and director of the poverty to Prosperity Team here, the center for American Progress. The director of programs at the American Association of people with disabilities and the ever so dapper mr. Neal carter who is the cofounder of nu view consulting. Lets be honest, we know this has been kind and exciting week for the Disability Community. There have been number of challenges the folks at facebook if a really honest, these have been things have been festering and our community for a long time. We heard neera address it. We heard clottey address it there while that we still have far to go, honestly any framing of an economic narrative around the rights of people with disabilities and around what true Economic Empowerment would look like is a collectible if it doesnt take into account the various intersections that are folks face, whether its hidden disabilities, around disclosure, folks live at the intersection of the with able listen and racism, homophobia, xenophobia. Have you seems all come up . This isnt new. We know this is a new but how bad have you all see this come up in your own career path or in the work you have all been doing . You guys cant press your finger to nose and say not it. I would say that, so i may quit a woman. I have a disability. I was born with cerebral palsy. Im also 30 so im sort of right at the start of ada generation. I think that actually might experience in the workplace in the world at large has largely been one of privilege and a lot of that has to do with whiteness as was economic status. I come from an upper middleclass middle class family. Everybody is college educated. It was never a college of will you go to college. I am sort of, i come from an interesting standpoint in terms of i didnt really have to think about my disability as a fact of my life experience. Certainly in an employment context until i was maybe in my mid20s, early to mid 20s. It was framed as as a personal thing that had to navigate, and it was sort of you just have to find a different way to do things but you will be able to do the same things and achieve the same things as all of your peers which is a great framework but it did let me off the hook of confronting all these intersections in any sort of real way, especially when you to my employment status. I have sortt of gotten a very skewed perception of what Economic Security and about is for disabled people. I will send somebody will who runs, takes initiatives and my current employer, one of the things i think comes up how these various intersections and impressions, is that you can have dispensed to spend of colr program and people love to talk about that. A liquor throughout the data of what percent and her cohort of people is culkin what percent is lgbt, what percent is both complex and thing. But then not have your programming acknowledge reflect that in any way. You are still putting marginalized folks in the system that was designed for and by privilege white people. Then you are surprised when that doesnt go well. When its not an affirming experience when it doesnt give, provide for everyone what is supposed too provide. Thats the thing ive come facetoface with in my work with young people is how do i take a as a white person in leadership help to restructure these programs to make sure theyre delivering on the promise and not just to people that come from already privileged backgrounds but making sure we are addressing and fully acknowledging the existence within the program, not just was participating in i it. Moving i was going to say much like kerry come up from a of privilege come in some ways its the collateral of good intentions and understanding how damaging saying i dont see color, i do see disability. We are all just people. How that erases identity and understanding the actualization, understanding the recognized nation of identity is as important to the movement of the legislation component, as employment component so that we walked into this, these spaces recognize all of those pieces. I would comment on this as a black woman who lives with a nonapparent disability and he was really been socialized in environments that are both predominantly white, and that is true of both education and employment here i have confronted i would say both external able listen and racism and also internal able listen. Often times that taken the form of knowing that in order to be successful, in order to understand and to be able to convey that i belong somewhere that have to work twice as hard and that have to work twice as long as i also know that if i make an error and i have known this for quite a bit of time, that immunity afforded that same level of grace as would someone who has more privilege or someone who is presumed to belong to a place in the first. I also as a nonapparent, as a woman with a nonapparent disability, disability, as a woman living with arthritis, know that if i work twice as long or twice as hard at that is a surefire way to land in er gw around the corner. So as i have grappled with that throughout my career i can say quite frankly i dont get half the answers. I do know that sometimes that my active resistance is to show up, to show up fully as my authentic self and to understand that as ive grown in my career and i now have a seat at leadership tables, i have responsibility and the ability to educate others on just how damaging ableism can be, just how damaging internalized racism can be. And the ways in which implicit bias shows up in the structures that we create. That said, the reason why we need this economic agenda that weve released today is because we are still actively producing institutions and policies that reinforce all those isms. It makes it that much harder for us to really truly realize justice for the Disability Community and for all communities of marginalized people. And i would just add that, particularly being in a space, being an entrepreneur, being an entrepreneur for most of my life, and being in the path to hire other folks is something that i never would have been able to think that i would be able to operate in the space. Talking about that internalized ableism and the racism, although that also comes with who is in your circle and can of recognizing that some of the folks in your circle be the disabled, able, may disrupt or cause harm to your actual growth as it pertains to your lived experience. So for me i can honestly say that for probably most of my career prior to getting into this, prior to getting into politics and public policy, it was skewed in different and it took a clear recognition from me to understand that i need to take for myself and not be concerned with what my family thinks, not be concerned with what my friends think in terms of where i should operate and what length i should operate in. Because for the most part i can only speak for myself, but in my life life and work i didnt have a direct mentor that could speak to my experience and help guide my path. So i kind of had to create my own path and blaze my own trail individually and create space for others. Thank you. How do the issues, you know, we have this continual debate in the Disability Community and ive seen it right now as a place out sort of ahead of 2020, which is people like when is this person come out with a disability agenda . And at the same time we hear our community continually fight for inclusion, like we want to be included along with everybody else. One of the things i thought was interesting in this report and how those laid out is how these issues fit into the broader agenda. They are not really short bus issues are segregated disability issues. The brilliant author and the folks who work with on this report really sought to think about how to sit in the context of the broader Agenda Setting narrative right now. And so how do you think that works . How dosena you think we engage n this conversation around creating a more integrated agenda versus creating a more siloed disability agenda . I think, so for me, i think what it comes down to is having more conversation like this one. Having more folks in the space who actually want to be here rather than folks who are required to be here. I know with respect estimate of the folks in the room right now. S down to is to make sure that the spaces in the conversation and especially the agenda that also understanding that her individual report that you put together with a great team is not the only report that needs to be done. We have to, it has to be consistent. It just cant be one report, great, thats it, policy set, were done. It has to be consistent and it has to be an ongoing conversation. In order for the kind of landscape to change, the entire landscape of the accessibility space has to also adapt as well. And i think up an economic agenda for people with disabilities, i think of it as an economic agenda for individuals all across the country. Claudia and neera talk already about some of what is in this map we have released today for people with disabilities. I wont go through all of the point. I do strongly encourage anyone to take a look at report and the recommendations that are named there, but i do want to highlight one example, and that is the one of paid leave and sick days. I grew up in the family of like women seconded a storyteller at heart, so forgive me that. But i can tell you a story, as me, as an only child, a couple of years ago when my father had the first of many falls. Living in los angeles, it is because of paid sick leave, it is because of paid leave and Flexible Work that i was able to travel back and forth between d. C. And california for a couple of years helping to care for him. When my mother had a lumpectomy a couple of years ago, it is because of paid leave, the ability to take a leave, that i was able to go and be with her and care for in that time. That is not good policy because i am a person with a disability. Its good policy because there are americans all across the country or confronting decisions every day about taking care of their worklife and their d famiy life. I think youll see echoes of that in every single recommendation that we have here, echoes of what is a joint economic agenda for this country. It was written and produced by azza and done in partnership a lot of the teams here at c. A. P. Who recommends it were truly going to be advancing a progressive agenda, it is inclusive of people with disabilities, but its good policy for all workers. Its good policies for all individuals who live in this country. Does anybody else want to jump in on that . One thing i have taken to say whenever i met by two tables will be talk about this sort of thing, people will general invite me there as the disability representative, like whatever that means, which is already a a bizarre thing to d. But i will always say to people theres no such thing as disability issues. The phrase disability issues this one of my least favorites because it gives us this excuse to sort of separate the community from everyone, which is exactly to your point. And saying that if we remove that framework ofn certain isss or disability issues and certain issues are not, then recognize that the truth is if you work in policy, if you work in programming, wherever you work your working with disabled people already whether you know it or not. Thats just a key i think paradigm shift that im really hoping to see. Encouragingly, it does come up often with my work with young people, thats an obvious point that disabled people are everywhere and disability issues are all issues. Also kind of shifting the conversation away from just inclusion, the point you are making about make sure the table is accessible and we get there. That shifting away from simply including disabled people and disability issues, and how do you empower us once we arrive and understanding that some of that, like closing that gap, making the change will require discomfort on the part of people have historically been in leadership around these particular conversations. But thats really where we need to go and to think thats whats most important. As as a community we need toe careful of celebrating small wins like major victories and that mentions are not enough. It needs to be platforms. I think exactly to what taryn said its about the inclusion across the board, whether that be wage, whether that be childcare, whether that be living, whatever that is a crossplatform, its time to have inclusion and not separation and more than mentions. Leading off of that, we are now starting to see the Disability Community galvan i spent issues like this. We saw this around a good example was the public charge fight earlier this year will resolve the Disability Community come out ready for the first time, put a stake in a grant and say this issue and immigration issues, Immigration Rights are a disability cost, or something when you talk about, we need to be getting behind. We know the data tells us the Disability Community and Lgbt Community are the most likely folks to use paid family leave to care for somebody other than direct biological relatives. We are seeing with this, sort of following the ada and this birth of this Movement Patterns that comes with disabilities we are seeing conversations around accessible childcare in a way weve never seen it before. Not just accessibility for what does the facility look like to be accessible for disabled children, but from the front d what does a Childcare Center or Childcare Provider need to be to able to do for disabled parent . What is behind this . Do think the Disability Community was like we need to get on this . Do you think what was sort of the impetus andt you think that previous policy laid the groundwork for folks to get there . Or was it more of a social impetus . I think it was probably a little bit of both. There was certainly a push from individuals in the Disability Community to speak up about migrant justice issues, to speak up about lgbtq iea issues as well and have intersect, at a think parlor palm and i want to use present but i will is that i think when we talk about policy in the past, policy currently are Going Forward, part of the problem is we are not addressing the intersections at the forefront. We are kind of waiting to say well, we need this person who lives at this many intersections to speak up before we actually address this policy issue. Depending on what the policy issueea is, whether raising the wage, you know, all of these issues need to be addressed at the intersections consistently, and we cant wait until one individual speaks of. And if that one individual does speak up we have to empower as a rb been mentioned, we have to do better job of empowering that voice and lifting at the voice. And also protecting that voice. Because, with empowering also comes trolling and vitriol and anger and negative response. And why you talk about this . Why are you siloing . Why you separating . Wygant, you know, well talk about things at the same time . We cant talk about things at the same time because you waited until this person spoke and now youre trying to silence them by saying they are not doing enough to just one voice, when that one voice is speaking to the experience and if we were automatically silencing them out of the gate then that doesnt give them the opportunity to lift up and speak their truth. Okay. Lets jump over to carry. You are wrapping up this liturgy of the American Association fora people with Disabilities Internship Program and you worked very closely on the ground with a whole cohort of the latest generation of disabled readers. I dont want to call the next generation leaders, i dont want to call the emerging leaders. Theyve already emerged. With every generation comes different priorities. I think coming out of gen x is where we are saying things like the movement around the civil rights of parents with disabilities. Were saying the conversations around, we saw the conversations around police files with this please. What are you saying out of this next generation of disabled leaders as sort of like what are they focusing on . Whats the preparation that they need that we need to be doing to support them to make the next step, to make the step to the careers they really want to have analyzed the want to lead . Absolutely. And have ever emerged, by the way. I can be spent the last nine weeks with his cohort of interns this summer, its been incredible. Been an incredible and expense for me as a leader, an incredible teaching moment and i think thats with interactional program Internship Program have most in than ever that coe close to reaching the ideal of other peopleen that we are workg most closely with and which is the interns actually think the people thate drive our culture and things that were focusing on as an organization. I really heartened to see this cohort of interns that we have this summer is very into that come into creating kind of organizational change. I will say that somewhat of a skewed perception because interns apply for an Internship Program in washington, d. C. , so theres a certain type of people that are going to find that interesting. There certainly isnt cutting across every young person who ever existed and every disabled in person who ever existed. But i think the thing that really sticks out to me about the young folks that ive been working with in recent years is, again, they dont see the silo as making any sense. They dont see the disability issue silo as making anywi sens. They see every issue of applying to them as disabled people and wanting accessibility at the very t least to be baked bacone very beginning as opposed to this grand achievement. This is what you think were sag about small wins as grand achievement. That mindset is really at the forefront for a lot of these young folks. So again not thinking about only certain issues applying to the Disability Community but the other way around. Ut its like we are everywhere so what are you doing for us . And i think in terms of employment, interesting because a lot of them come here and they dont want anything to do with disability organizations or disability policy specifically. They are just excited to be it with other young disabled people and to learn from each other, but they want their Workplace Experience to be fully outside of whatever the Disability Community is. I think thats really interesting. There are arguments to be made for like the value of exposing people that disability policy in the cannery specifically others also an argument to be made for breaking the silent and giving us out into spaces where we event historically underrepresented. We are still encountering with a lot of different places with interns at a lot of different organizations and companies and agencies in general that interested in what they would call disability inclusive hiring. Sometimes in leadership they can still be this idea that you are hiring is because either its the right thing to do, like it makes you feel good, not like in economically empowering with that and a moral fiber way, thats why youre making the higher the value were bringing my things like our loyalty and our resilience and all the soft skills. Im not your golden retriever. Im your employer. Employee. Its that im good at my job. Because im good at my job and qualified i am eventually going to move on. You need to support that. It cant just be you brought me because you knew i didnt have another option. I think thats the shift we see that more in organizations and companies and the like that havent had a lot of exposure to disabled people and particularly young disabled people. Youll see them bumping up against the sink of this verse is coming here and theyre not getting me a cookie, like im upset. Why are you not telling you what a good job im doing . Didnt away from that idea of the founder of disabled people in the workplace being like feelgood and give me a substantive job to do, and made to do with disability, it may not. You can go either way but really seen our value as more than kind of the emotional boost that we have historically given people. Building off that, crosby,i want to turn over to you. Congratulations on the launch of flexibility this week. We are thrilled you are here withhe us. While we have historically seen firms oak is unlike the supplyside of frontline workers and entry level staff, why is your from different . What arere your thoughts on howo crack that ceiling or steps as they are that keeps disabled workers from the sea suite . Let me start with the story, a little more than year ago i was at a meeting for global employment for people with disabilities. I was surrounded by incredibly smart people, and credibly connected people, corporate actors who had the bandwidth and the breadth to build programs that could move the needle. The meeting opened up with an example of the Walgreens Distribution Center program. That was ten years ago. That was an important stake in a grant for a company to say we care about disability. Add momentum, but hearing that as the example of employment a year ago made me angry. And it made me angry that it was as important as we said it was, that it did to create momentum. It may be angry it was being used ten years later. It may be angry that were sitting inr a meeting eating aa Chicken Salad and apparently accepting the status quo, right . And at the root of anger was hope and idealism, that we can change this. We can make a difference. Out off that idea and meeting these perfect magical founding members for flexibility, flexibility was born. So we are a new kind of social impact firm. We are a for profit benefit corporation, think like ben jerrys, patagonia, toms shoes, and were stepping into the space because there is a marketplace for individuals with disabilities. Theres a talent resource. Theres money to be made at his money to be had by realizing who we are as a community. So we will be, its not just exactly executive search. It is entrylevel, midlevel. Because the disability is not homogenous set of skill sets. Its all those things. Making sure Companies Accountable if they say theyre serious, if you have a partner. We know we have to do this differently and we are here to have uncommon collaboration we are here to uncommon conversations. We are here to be a partner who knows that this change can be made and we are going to have to do in a different way. And we are here to say that companies, corporations, is ths that care about this space need a safe space, and that hell stl have that space with us. They will have that space knowing that at the end result is all what we need and what we want. Im excited for a year from now, for us to what all your done in that come in year one. Neal, youre an entrepreneur in this space. What are the things you really had to like take into consideration as you build your business that you think wouldve been different had you joined some big, boring conglomerate somewhere . Well, being an industry that im in ive recognized that i, funny enough, i have been approached by membership organizations or leadership organizations looking to transition me out of the indusi am in. For those who dont know im in the disability political space. Because we only one, we kind of have to have, blaze the trail. While weve been blazing the trail and setting our own path, folks have said who did you knock over . Who did you pushed out of t the way . What organizations, to your question, did you say no to before you decided to get into the space . I didnt decide to get in the space. People recognize, candidates and campaigns and policy organizations recognized that there needs to be an organization like mine, a firm like mine, and i took that is a sign to create the firm that i did. And i also tried to make sure i wasnt at least, i think probably early when i started i was probably taken invention more probably than i am now because i didnt probably recognize or have the wherewithal to understand theze difference of folks kind of glad handing their way into taking pictures and putting on panels and putting the spaces, whether the inclusive spaces or noninclusive spaces to speak and be the black disabled guy and a mostly white space. I know my industry is a mostly white male space. I know when i see that i have to play two roles simultaneously, and in doing so i have to make sure that what i am also blazing a trail as i mentioned before, im creating space, making space for others and in the capacity to higher, which i dont think there are firms like mine back and say that explicitly without putting caveats onto that went on a panel like this. They will usually say things like, well, you know, we have to consider, we are so many considerations before even bring you on. Thats what a lot of membership organizations in my industry kind of look to me now, all of a sudden 12 years later and say, now, neal, lets bring you on you a part of the number ship and have you speak at our panel, and not you have to pay to be on it. But previous you did. Or you didnt have to pay to be a part of organization. Im sorry, you did have to pay crazy but now you dont because now we see are black and disabled and we see its like ive always been here, guys. Nothing changed. For me i recognize im creating space what also setting new trends and, i think for me its also a matter of being available for conversations like this one for individuals that want to actively do the work. I think thats part of the problem is, is a lot of folks in our space kind of segment ourselves out of conversations by pitting different parts of work unity against each other, rather than saying that we are all in allinclusive space and bring everyone to the inclusive table that we talked about previously. So taryn, hearing what carrie said, what cosby said can witness it can what are your thoughts about some structural policy changes that could really make an impact in these spaces . Already talked about a few, right . So paid leave and sick days, so really paying attention to what is the availability of leave for workers, particularly not only for the families, the bloodlines as lessee, but also for their chosen family. I want to go back and highlight something that claudia mentionen because it has to be stated yet again. Last week was a historic occasion. It was because i chamber actually voted to raise the minimum wage. Thats aus big deal. But in doing so they also voted to eliminate 14c, that provision of the fair labor standards act that allows us to continue to pay people with disabilities pennies on the hour. I cannot state enough how important that is. By allowing a system to persist by codifying in statute that system, were saying it is oky to have a permanent underclass of people with disabilities. We are contributing to the attitudinal barriers and the physical bears that prevented some really truly seeing justice. So when i think of like some of the structural barriers that we need to begin to tear down, those are two mexican to mine. There are many more. Again, thats why point you to the economic agenda that we released today, because this fight, in a perfect ideal world, we will come together again, right . And it will be a big deal because we will be in one year celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ada, and we will be able to point to progress towards some of these recommendations. We will be able to point to an increase in a public drive in public well to adopt these provisions. Again, not just because theyre good for people with disabilities but because theyre good for individuals across the country, regardless of where you are and who you are, be it race, gender, sexuality, disability. I get very animated about these things as you well know, but those are a couple of things i would highlight. Lets say, this is sort of my last question to the panel before you open it up for q a bullets that could go back in time. But lets say you could go back in time. It really hot muggy day july 261990, where you remind yourself for the 450 time that our Founding Fathers built this Nations Capital on a swamp. And theyre getting the design the ada. Theres having captain justin guard and congressman major owens all surrounding president george h. W. Bush as he signs the bill into law or even going for the back to in the rehabilitation act was signed in section 504 was codified. Knowing which all know now, are the things that you wouldve included or elaborated on to ensure that we were not at this. 29 years later or 36 years no, for the six years later for the rehab act, to think about gosh, we still havent fixed that in . Obviously other than sub minimum wage gets i know that would be a key piece. I am going to age myself, under that administration i can remember that i administration vividly, and i can remember when the ada was signed and, if i would take myself back, i would say that this is, this administration and the subsequent act that was signed at the time did not have the teeth at the not have the people in this room right now and the folks were not in this room who are watchingg live, that are advocating. It didnt have a level of checks and balances with it at the time. It was just kind of an act that was passed and pictures were taken similar to other accords that happened that year. It wasnt, its not that the passage at the time wasnt taken seriously, but i think because at the time, if you look at what the disability leadership, disability advocacy looked like back then versus whatt it looks like now, you would say 29 years later going into 30 years next year, now is when we need to readjust but also recognize that the disability space as a whole has changed, grown, adapted. And back then it was mostly too pale to mail. Now its not. So the folks who are now at the table, the folksw who need to consistently bring to the table look vastly different than the folks from 29 years ago. And because we sit multiple intersections with to make sure that those multiple intersections are represented. Again, at thise new table. So when we talk about going back, i dont like going back because the Current Administration campaigned on taking the country back, and to a certain extent they did. And we are still dealing with that. There are previous administrations prior to that one that rolled back certain things related to the Disability Community that can be addressed in another panel. But as far as Going Forward and not looking back, we have to make sure that when we bring other people to the table that there is a a consistent accountability to what the accessibility table looks like because again it didnt look like it did 29 years ago. Anybody else . My answer could be a little fluffier, soph. Theres real work 14c, 100 not fluffy and saw. Repairing hearts and minds campaign, real money for storytelling that is on our tvs when you open up hulu, when you open you to come when you walk into schools that we are telling the story of disability and intersectionality of the world that we live in that is in the way we are changing hearts and minds and attitudes, and that has to be paired with the legislation because storytelling is where were going to get the people to understand. I dont know that this answers your question, sort of thinking retrospectively about the ada, but something that ive been grappling with recently as just to what extent we as a community are still driven by fear here particularly as it relates to the statute, fear that if they go back and start the fight for more, if we really go back and start to talk about an advocate for policy as if the ada is a a floor as opposed to n aspiration, then we might lose what weve already gained. Thats where we need to have conversations about what the ada has been for us and what it still needs to be. I think keeps us really having True Conversations and Movement Towards action around the intersections of what the ada has not done for all people with disabilities. We are afraid to peel back those layers and tose really explore w it might have been amazing for really advancing the physical infrastructure for this country, but it is not yet done what we needed to do to universally designed a country where all individuals with disabilities can be successful. And then i would question what the success actually mean . We need to move the q a, i know. Anything you want to add . I think you all set it for the anything i would say which is the accommodation of what you all have said. But the one specific thing that has irked me getting a little granular about the ada, is the Historic Site extension and a that is in use against a lot of the students in particular on University Campuses for how buildings that are historic, and they were built, they get grandfathered in basically and you dont have to create Accessible College experiences for people, like that something that comes up often in my work. Before looking at a specific think i would question that was a thing. Buten i think largely it is more of an ideological shift and not just resting on the laurels of the ada is a gold standard, congratulation, we can go home. But seeing it as what youre saying it as the floor and not the ceiling. The last thing i want to talk about, the first death president of the gallaudet university, and seeing the activism of our young disabled readers of color this last week and really over this last month, really took me back to the days of death president now and the fight by students at gallaudet prior to the ada to have the leadership represent them so. Its a fight we sing reenacted in the same we have a right to choose leadership represent our values, the represent our community. That stands with us rather thans continually tried to divide us. Its an interesting reflection on where weve been and where he continue to go and, frankly, how the leadership of her movement been designed defined by the passion and the intelligence of our young people, and really where they continue to push our community to listen to its better angels i think, as it were. I just wanted, before we go to q a one which take a moment to recognize the importance of that answer highlight the importance of frankly deaf students at county that leadership in that space and the time that we were still seen reflected in the leadership of the still photo specifically disabled folks of color today. Do we have questions . And for accessibility purposes, constant is when the microphone. I will ask you say your name and where you are from. My name is diego. I work for Organization Called together international which supports entrepreneurs with disabilities. Im really excited to see a number of entrepreneurs on the panel. My question iss about that come around entrepreneurship. I would argue that entrepreneurship is a way to equalize the Playing Field around employment, specifics for people with disabilities. Because in a way we are entrepreneurial by default, in the way we live our lives high you get dressed, how you drive, how you communicate. Im curious what your thoughts are on sort of entrepreneurship as are Workforce Development strategy or as a mechanism to sort of move the needle forward on the unemployment of disabled people . You want to ask an entrepreneur in week one . [laughing] i think as long as, yes, and what is needed if access to capital, we have to make sure theres axis to capital so these are sustainable growing businesses. We have to make sure the certification matters and it is taken seriously by companies and that they are reporting on that. I think yes, 100 it is one avenue. We need to support it, grow it, develop it and make sure at the workforcethose opportunities, if thats what you so choose, are growing and opening up as well. I will just add, and keep your heads up if you have questions so constance can run around, but in terms of Workforce Development specifically, i think to kind of bounce off of what crosby said, i think its a matter of addressing, not just as he spoke to earlier, not just creating space but also, and not just making sure the capital is there, but also creating opportunity, right . And making sure those opportunities remain available and are consistent. I thought a lot about consistency today so i will bring it up again. Because opportunity, and make sure they are not disability specific opportunities as well in terms of employment. Because thats part of the issue as well. Its about filling quotas for that, for the disabled person rather than saying im going to fill this position because this person is properly qualified for this position. So i think its really a matter of just making sure the position is there and not making sure, or making sure there are multiple positions there and also making to those multiple positions are not discipline specific or disability centered. I which is cosigned with this it and put on a bit of a labor house for a a second and say tht it is clearly demonstrated in research that auto ownership is a surefire pathway to employment for people with disabilities. That is something that i think we need to continue to try forward, recognizing it takes quite a bit of social capital at times for individuals to find success as they are launching their own businesses. We need to be careful not to amplify the examples that are in the privileged that you carry with you because of say your family and or community connections. Happy ada. My question is around ada. We are 29 and were going into our 30th year, and this is a very, i forget the word, partisan on time. How do you deal with, and the ada was signed by president bush and there were lots of republicans who worked on the ada. How do you go into this environment where you talk about why should the ada still be around ten years from now, 50 years from now, whatever it is . I worry about that. Well, i will just say in an age where we are in first of all, thank you for your question. We shouldnt be afraid to have these conversations. I think the problem is the fear is so stoked within spaces in general, within communities in general that we are afraid to have those continued conversations. I think because of that fear that fear has been rested in us and we lived with that fear, and to be honest, that fear was prior to was occupying the white house right now. For certain folks, including myself. While that fear is rested in me, i also recognize that in order to progress forward and make sure that ada is still a part of the conversation going into our 30th year now in a 20 night, we have to make sure that these conversations are consistently happening. We cant just rest on our laurels and say, well, its our anniversary of the ada, happy ada, and then walk away and then just expect the conversations to not happen. Whether it is Disability Awareness month or not, we have to consistently have these conversations and not be afraid to have them. The only other thing i would add is youio and have a tough conversation with a friend. The fact the ada was passed and a bipartisan administration, under bipartisan leadership, and to think is important also last yearsmb h. R. 620, the lead sponsors of it were people that called themselves progressives, that wouldve completely decimated title iii of the ada. So its important in having sort of a holistic take on who is with us, how do we have these conversations around the sheer dignity of people with disabilities ask how do have conversations about what folks with disabilities are capable of and not just have with folks that we expect to always be with us . Wimetimes those folks are not with us. And how do we have those tough conversations with people, with people who tradition would have aligned themselves with our values and our perspectives, but instead framed disabled folks as moneymakers. I think when one last question. Hello. My name is angie and don on the board of the council for people with disabilities. My question is, how about the over 50 crowd for employment . Whats being done . Its an important question and it is, all sides of the spectrum. We need all of us, all in this room to put ability to work. That is not a jew. There are chapters and faces in stages, and thats it. Ability to work regardless of the age. I would add the importance of, i think a lot of the rhetoric, i used to work at the administration for community of living and ive never seen a bigger fight and when we writing our mission statement, and administration for Community Living brought together the administration on disability and aging. The fight about the use of the word empower versus enable where the aging Committee Like the word enable. Because they did need to be empowered because they had power. The Disability Community didnt like the word enable. They like empowered because enable empowers a lack of ability. I would say this about our loving elders in the Disability Community, because of changes in healthcare and things like that we are seen people age into disability is not a conversation we had. I had a conversation with my great uncle, i asked him what are your conferences like . Thisll sound like a really bad joke and it is my, but his response was its a really dead crowd. And he said they get small as part of your picky set frame its very hard to find a doctor who treats polio in the United States because people dont go to school toni learn how to tret people with polio anymore. Hes in the 70s and has worked for a large part of his life if and when his disability got to significant he retired. I think it really is that sounds about the economic conversation, like how to also have conversation and this is something we can look at another time, but for folks who cant work . How do we Start Talking about that . Hit on some of those other recommendations. I wanted to thank you all for joining us. Before i wrap up of one to make one last very exciting announcement. Joining our team here at with a Disability Justice initiative will be the founder of ramp your voice, greeted of the notorious hashtag disability to white. Well be working with us on some reproductive justice and disability work that we areer vy excited about an she will be working remotely for us and we are thrilled to have her join our team. I wanted to take a moment to thank our defense team, our phenomenal instinct for pulling this together to you all amazement every time. The number of times i sent you text messages, you are like its already being taken care. Why are you text me . Estimate in the display space to workhe with such highly qualifid and phenomenal and passionate leaders is truly a gift. I just want to think of arts and Editorial Team for all the chairmans mark and labor pulling this report together. They are amazing. And last but not least i wanted to go to thank our interpreters and our cart providers and everybody that works to pull together a prince like this. I have to turn when i came here to c. A. P. , they were very clear in telling me that the one to be a leader in the space, not just in terms of the content that we produce, the policy that we roll also really set the bar in terms of accessibility for all of our events, both your inhouse and publicly, and our event team doesnt have time. Thank you all and thank you all for joining us today. [applause] [inaudible conversations] coming up live shortly special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction is expected to discuss security and afghanistan at the center for st