Disability Equity Webinar Series: Disability Justice and Labor Rights

People with disabilities are more likely to work in service and manual labor occupations than people without a disability, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But in addition to ableist labor issues such as subminimum wage and lack of accessible workplaces, disabled workers also often face unsafe working conditions that can potentially lead to acquiring new disabilities without adequate social, economic, or health infrastructure for support. As the labor movement experiences mounting action since 2020, it’s crucial for philanthropy to support disabled leadership in workers’ rights organizing.
View this webinar featuring Inevitable Foundation, United for Respect, and Rebecca Vallas from National Academy of Social Insurance to learn why disabled leadership is crucial for labor rights organizing and how funders can support disability-inclusive labor movements.
This webinar was moderated by Rebecca Vallas, Distinguished Fellow & Senior Adviser for National Academy of Social Insurance and featured as panelists:
- Marisa Torelli-Pedevska, Co-Founder & Head of Writing Programs, Inevitable Foundation
- Monica Lucas, Inevitable Foundation Accelerate Fellow
- Joan Morris, Amazon Worker and Leader at United for Respect
- Mona Abhari, Lead Organizer, United for Respect
For more about the 2024 Disability Equity Series, visit disabilityphilanthropy.org/20....
0:00 Welcome, Poll, and Housekeeping
4:37 What is the Pay Disparity Between Disabled and Nondisabled Workers?
5:14 Rebecca Vallas Introduction
7:27 Gabriel San Emeterio Introduction
8:06 Marisa Torelli-Pedevska Introduction
8:27 Monica Lucas Introduction
8:58 Joan Morris Introduction
9:18 Mona Abhari Introduction
10:12 Joan's Story: Facing Ableism as a Black Disabled Worker
11:39 Monica's Story: Accepting Her Autistic Identity
12:51 Mona's Story: Experiencing Economic Inequality as a Palestinian Woman
14:32 Marisa's Story: How Her Non-Apparent Disability Shapes Her Worldview
17:08 How Workplaces Systemically Discriminate Against Disabled Workers
22:16 How Joan's Lived Experiences Led Her to Worker Organizing
28:06 Supporting Disabled Screenwriters During the 2023 Writers' Strike
32:34 The Ableism and Inaccessibility of Film Sets
38:42 How Can Workplaces Be More Accommodating?
42:07 What Philanthropy Can Learn from Disabled Workers
46:24 What Philanthropy Needs to Know About People with Disabilities
48:58 Q&A: How Funders Can Stay Educated on Disability and Labor Rights
52:00 Q&A: How Disabled Workers Can Find Support
55:07 Q&A: Screenwriting as Disability Activism
58:27 Close