News and Events
Upcoming Events
News
Disability Funders Network Funders' Briefing: Emergency Response in Haiti and People With Disabilities
Disability Funders Network invites grantmakers to join a one hour teleconference sponsored by The Kessler Foundation and Philanthropy New York, on Thursday, March 11 at 10:00 am EST to learn more about the situation of people with disabilities in Haiti. We have invited speakers immersed in the situation to give us an understanding of how the emergency response is including people with disabilities, as well as the opportunities and challenges for integrating disability into the emergency and long-term responses to the crisis. We'll also begin a discussion of funder opportunities for supporting disability and Haiti.
Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stated that persons with disabilities must not become "the forgotten ones during the emergency response and the reconstruction of the country." Join us on March 11 to learn more about what your funding institution can do.
Speakers:
- Wendy Batson, Executive Director, Handicap International USA http://handicap-international.us/
- Dale Buscher, Director of Protection, Women’s Refugee Commission http://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/
- Paul Timmons, Jr., Board Chair, Portlight Strategies http://portlight.org
- Jesse Wrenn, Program Officer, American Jewish World Service http://ajws.org/who_we_are/news/haiti_emergency.html
Moderator: Catherine Townsend, Program Officer, Wellspring Advisors
Sponsors: Philanthropy New York http://www.philanthropynewyork.org and The Kessler Foundation http://www.kesslerfoundation.org/
Thursday, March 11, 2010
10:00 am EST
Call-In Information:
- 1-888-387-8686
- Room #382 5307
In order to receive the resource list including contact information, PLEASE RSVP by 9:30 am EST March 11th to Cecilia Garza: cgarza@wellspringadvisors.com
The Disability Funders Network (DFN) is a national membership and philanthropic advocacy organization that seeks equality and rights for disabled individuals and communities by bridging philanthropic resources, disability and community. DFN envisions an empowered and functioning democracy with full equality under the law, equal access to services, unconditional respect for difference and the meaningful participation of all communities at tables where decisions are made. Disability-inclusive grantmaking is the mission of DFN: inclusion of disability in grantmaking programs and inclusion of people with disabilities in grantmaking organizations.
DFN seeks to accomplish our mission by:
- Serving as a resource for grantmakers and community groups to increase and strengthen institutional giving to disability communities.
- Providing regular and reliable research on philanthropy about — and to — disability communities;
- Bringing together and broadening the base of disability funders to improve grantmaking and organizational capacity for disability rights, including racial, economic and social justice.
NGO Conference Call Announcement
As you know, USAID is leading a whole-of-government response to assist
the Government of Haiti in the wake of last week’s devastating
earthquake. The US Government is conducting operations in support of
the Haitian Government, in coordination with and in support of the
United Nations and the international community. We are leading efforts
to provide immediate, lifesaving and life sustaining relief and to
build a foundation for a more stable, resilient and prosperous Haiti.
Upcoming Conference Call Schedule:
January 28: Web-based Situational Awareness Tools
January 29: InterAction Update: Reporting from Haiti
February 1: Persons with Disabilities: Recovery and Response Efforts
February 3: NGO Perspective
February 5: 24 Day Review
All calls will take place at 4 pm EST for 30 minutes. The telephone
numbers below will stay the same. The conference call ID number will
change. We will send updated information each day.
January 28 Conference Call Details
The USAID team working to coordinate NGO activities in Haiti will be
holding a 30-minute conference call tomorrow, Thursday, January 28,
2010, at 4 pm EST on Web-based Situational Awareness Tools. During
parts of this call, it would be helpful if you are at a computer with
Internet access and can click to the following websites:
USAID: http://www.usaid.gov/helphaiti/
OneResponse.Info: http://www.oneresponse.info/Disasters/Haiti/Pages/default.aspx
Reliefweb:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=EQ-2010-000009-...
Due to expected call volume, please call in early to allow time to be connected to the call.
International #: (816) 650-7866
Domestic #: (866) 306-0035
Conference ID: 53585763
This call will be captioned to provide access to all participants,
including participants who are deaf or hard of hearing. At the start
time of the event, please login to your event by clicking on the link
below:
http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1491703&CustomerID=321 or go to:
http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=XXX and enter the event confirmation number 1491703.
Information shared on this call will be summarized in an email sent out
at a later point for those who were unable to join today’s call.
Please forward this email to others in your network and have them email
RebuildHaiti@usaid.gov with Add Me in the subject line if they would
like to receive the updates.
Influenza
A day doesn’t pass without more media coverage of “swine flu,” or what we now know as the H1N1 virus. Separately, discussion can turn to the other flu—the annual seasonal flu. In the face of all this information, sorting out the facts can be overwhelming. We all have many questions.
With our responsibility for both the welfare of our employees and the productivity of our organizations, knowing these critical facts and being able to devise a plan of rapid response for this season is vital to us. And, being a leading, global HR organization, the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) believes that assembling and providing that information is a moral imperative.
The Society has consulted with the government’s leading health authorities—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the US Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)—to compile the facts you need to know. Then, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, we created the enclosed guide.
This important and unique publication, Doing Business During an Influenza Pandemic: Human Resources Policies, Protocols, Templates, Tools, & Tips, should be invaluable to you in planning for every possible impact of the flu season, and in mitigating that impact to the greatest extent. It should answer all your questions, and do so with clear, concise and relevant advice. In addition to this publication, SHRM has created more information available on our web site (www.SHRM.org) to help you prepare your organization.
We should neither overreact to the potential of H1N1, nor minimize its possible seriousness. As the CDC says, the overwhelming majority of people who have been infected with H1N1 have had mild illness similar to that for seasonal flu, and have not needed medical care. But this virus still has the potential to disrupt every workplace in the nation. This will not be a conventional flu season, and our level of preparedness must be raised accordingly.
- Here are great new resources on H1N1 for children and adults with disabilities from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Disability and the Centers for Disease Control.
- Persons with Disabilities and the Flu http://www.hhs.gov/od/
- You may also go directly to flu.gov Persons with Disabilities and Flu, by following this link http://www.flu.gov/individualfamily/healthconditions/disabilities/index....
- To be taken directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published 2009 H1N1 Flu Information for People with Disabilities and Their Caregivers or Personal Assistants, please follow this link http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/disabilities/
General News
Friday, 20 November 2009 FISA FOUNDATION: Seizing Opportunities to Promote Disability Awareness: the G-20
When it was announced that the G-20 meeting would be located in Pittsburgh, many wheels were set in motion to capitalize on the opportunity to highlight local features and accomplishments. FISA Foundation immediately recognized the opportunity to draw attention to the region's leadership in inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities. It its role as community convener, the Foundation called together local disability leaders to develop a strategic communications plan. By investing some time and modest funds, FISA Foundation and its network of community partners quickly ensured that disability resources were interwoven into the G-20 Press Room website (www.g20pittsburghsummit.org). A listing of local resources was developed to assist visitors with disabilities, and a temporary Disability Resources Information Line was created to allow visitors to quickly seek assistance with diverse needs including accessible transportation, emergency wheelchair repair and veterinary support for service animals. In addition, several "story pitches" related to disabilities/accessibility were commissioned and added to a dynamic story bank for the press. A full color brochure highlighting Pittsburgh amenities and corporations that are "disability shining stars" (from PNC park - the most accessible ball park in the nation, to the Quality of Life Technology Center which specializes in innovative assistive technology) was distributed at the Pittsburgh Airport, all local hotels, and welcome centers. Kristy Trautmann Program Officer FISA Foundation 1001 Liberty Avenue, Suite 650 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
- Next Conference:
- Semi-Annual Conference - January 25-26, 2010 (San Francisco)
- Past: Summer Semi-Annual Conference - July 13-14, 2009 (New York City)
- Past:Federal Policy Briefing - March 18-19, 2009 (Washington, DC)
- Past:Semi-Annual Conference - January 26-27, 2009 (San Francisco)
Human Rights and People with Disabilities: Moving into the Mainstream
BACKGROUND: Almost 10 percent of the world's population, or 650 million people, have disabilities. Eighty percent of people with disabilities live in the developing world. There, they are among the poorest of the poor, as disability is both a cause and effect of poverty. Persons with disabilities comprise the world's largest minority. But, unlike most minority populations, disability can affect anyone at anytime, through complications of pregnancy and birth, malnourishment, (physical or psychological) injury, disease, armed conflict, or age.<>br Given this backdrop, people with disabilities have moved disability from the limitations of a charity lens to one of rights. When thinking about disability, it is not uncommon for funders to conceptualize it as a health, medical, or welfare issue. Such views are consistent with traditional approaches to disability, in that the problems faced by people with disabilities are commonly attributed to their physical, mental or intellectual characteristics, rather than to societal barriers and discrimination. However, over the last 30 years, the disability rights movement pioneered a shift in this thinking.
In 2007, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted. The CRPD marks a significant turning point for the promotion and protection of the rights of people with disabilities. It recognizes the barriers created by the social attitudes, public policy, and physical environment that block people with physical, sensory, intellectual or psycho-social impairments from enjoying their rights on an equal basis with others. The CRPD is a powerful instrument for activists seeking to address the long-standing marginalization and invisibility of people with disabilities.
Disability is a cross-cutting issue that is relevant to most, if not all, constituencies that funders care about, including women, ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, and the poor. Funders can play a crucial role in promoting the CRPD and advancing a rights-based approach to disability by formally recognizing that people with disabilities are already a significant proportion of the populations they serve. Some examples of how grantmakers can make their programs more accessible include: supporting programs and policies intended to raise awareness and overcome stigma and compounded discrimination of people with disabilities; ensuring that evaluation processes incorporate the impact on people with disabilities; and implementing universal design principles in their own offices and communication tools (e.g. websites and business cards).
Semi-Annual Conference Human Rights and Marginalized Populations January 25-26, 2010 in San Francisco Mariott San Francisco Union Square Read a provisional agenda of the conference. Learn more information. Register by January 8, 2010.
Dialogue on the Arts and People with Disabilities
Tuesday, October 20, 9:30 am – 11:00 am Organized by Amy Kitchener, executive director, Alliance for California Traditional Arts; Rose Ann Cleveland, executive director, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; John R. Killacky, program officer, Arts & Culture, The San Francisco Foundation.Moderated by John R. Killacky. Presented by Rohit Burman, manager, Culture and Public Broadcasting, MetLife Foundation; Sidiki Conde, dancer/composer, Tokounou All Ability Dance and Music; Kim Hutchinson, president/CEO, Disability Funders Network; Harilyn Rousso; executive director; Disabilities Unlimited Consulting Services.
How do we keep moving the dialogue from what has historically been a medical model to a wider-ranging, more inclusive discussion of disability culture? Join us for a conversation about what funders are doing to include artists with disabilities. What kinds of projects are being funded, what strategies have been successful, what are the challenges? What are the issues and ideas related to including disability as a component of diversity efforts?
Invited experts: Rohit Burman, Manager, Culture & Public Broadcasting, MetLife/MetLife Foundation, New York, NY; Sidiki Conde, African dance artist and founder of Tokounou Dance Company, Brooklyn, NY; Kim Hutchinson, President & CEO, Disability Funders Network, Midlothian, VA; Harilyn Rousso, writer, artist, disability activist, and executive director of Disabilities Unlimited in New York, NY; and moderator John R. Killacky, Program Officer, Arts & Culture, The San Francisco Foundation.
Disability Rights Fund opens second round of grantmaking for 2009
BOSTON, MA - The Disability Rights Fund (DRF)-a groundbreaking grantmaking collaborative supporting the human rights of people with disabilities-today announced the second round of its 2009 grantmaking, "Raising Our Voice." This round opens another year of possible funding to disabled persons' organizations (DPOs) in: Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru; Ghana, Namibia, Uganda; and Bangladesh and adds an additional region to the Fund's reach - the Pacific. In the Pacific, 14 island countries are targeted: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.The broad objective of the Fund[1]-which was officially launched in March 2008-is to empower DPOs in the developing world and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union to participate in ratification, implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD).
In 2008, the Fund made one-year grants to 33 organizations in 7 countries (Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru; Ghana, Namibia, Uganda; Bangladesh), totaling USD 800,000. Grants ranged from USD 5000 - 50,000 and supported CRPD awareness-raising, strengthening coalitions and networks, and rights advocacy.
In the second round of 2009 grantmaking, applicant organizations may apply within one of two categories: a) single organizations or partnerships and b) national DPO coalitions. Grants to single organizations will range from USD 5,000 to 30,000 and support efforts to build voice and visibility and to develop rights-based advocacy and monitoring on the CRPD. Grants to national DPO coalitions will range from USD 30,000 to 70,000 and will support advocacy toward ratification of the CRPD, passage of specific legislation to accord with the CRPD, or the production of shadow reports.
Interested organizations are urged to review the full eligibility criteria and application details posted at the Fund's website, http://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/grant.html. Any questions on the proposal process should be directed to info@disabilityrightsfund.org by August 15. The deadline for applications is September 15, 2009.
DRF's donors include the Aepoch Fund, the American Jewish World Service, an anonymous founding donor, the Australian Government's International Development Assistance Agency - AusAID, the Open Society Institute, The Sigrid Rausing Trust, and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development.
Ability Pittsburgh Thursday, April 16, 2009
Heinz History Center This one day program will offer 350 students with disabilities (age 12-21) opportunities to explore the collections and exhibits of the History Center as well as to participate in the following four modules:- Transition, Advisors, Leadership and Employment
- Assistive Technologies
- Museum Education
- Physical Fitness and Nutrition