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Today we have another encore episode of You First. This is the second of four encore episodes as we're taking a bit of a break from producing new episodes. Now this episode, "The Intersection of Disability and Reproductive Justice," is by far our most popular episode – and by a significant margin! But in case you missed it back in August of 2022, count your lucky stars because here it is again. Roe v Wade was overturned not long before we recorded this episode, and we wanted to take a deep dive into how the overturning affects the disability community. Maddie hosted this episode and led an incredible conversation with activists Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Rebecca Cokley, Keith Jones, and Heather Watkins about how the ruling affects them, the disability community as a whole, and other marginalized groups, especially in ways that you may not have considered. And it's all just as relevant today as it was when we recorded it. Please note that this conversation discusses heavy themes and references systems of oppression such as racism and ableism, infanticide, abortion, and forced sterilization. Links: Morénike Giwa Onaiwu https://morenikego.com/ https://twitter.com/morenikego Keith Jones http://dasoultoucha.com/About/ https://twitter.com/dasoultoucha Heather Watkins https://slowwalkersseemore.com/ https://twitter.com/hwatkins927 Rebecca Cokley https://rebecca-cokley.medium.com/ https://twitter.com/rebeccacokley
In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Get Hired with Andrew Seaman is celebrating the stories, talents and contributions of workers with disabilities throughout the month of October. On this week's bonus episode, LinkedIn Editor at Large Andrew Seaman speaks with Rebecca Cokley, Program Officer for U.S. Disability Rights at the Ford Foundation. Rebecca discusses her background in disability rights activism and what the recent uptick in ‘return to office' mandates mean for the disability community. She also shares tips for identifying disability-friendly employers during your job search. Follow Andrew on LinkedIn to join the Get Hired community by clicking here. Follow Rebecca Cokley on LinkedIn by clicking here. You can see a transcript of the episode by clicking here. (https://lnkd.in/wol3) You can find more information about NDEAM by clicking here. Information on resources from the U.S. Department of Labor can be found by clicking here.
In this episode of the You First Podcast, hosts Maddie and Keith talk with disabled activist and attorney Marissa Ditkowsky about the challenges and inequities faced by disabled women in healthcare, employment, and financial freedom. Marissa discusses her role as Disability Economic Justice Council at the National Partnership for Women and Families and shares insights on systemic oppression, the impact of disability on financial stability, and the importance of intersectional advocacy. The episode also addresses issues like reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Relevant links: National Partnership for Women & Families Website: https://nationalpartnership.org/ National Partnership for Women & Families social media: Twitter: https://x.com/npwf, or @npwf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npwf/, or @npwf Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalpartnership/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@npwf?lang=en, or @npwf Marissa's Twitter: @mditkowsky (https://x.com/mditkowsky) Systems Transformation Guides: https://nationalpartnership.org/report/disability-economic-justice-systems-transformation/ The Intersection of Disability and Reproductive Justice - with Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Rebecca Cokley, Keith Jones, and Heather Watkins: https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/podcast/story/episode_38 Buck v Bell: https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-self-determination-freedom-from-involuntary-sterilization #FreeBritney and Disability: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/17/freebritney-shines-light-problematic-guardianship-systems How State Abortion Bans Harm Disabled Women: https://nationalpartnership.org/report/state-abortion-bans-harm-disabled-women/ What Disability Reproductive Equity Day Means to Me: https://nationalpartnership.org/what-disability-reproductive-equity-day-means-to-me/ National Women's Law Center's resource about Forced Sterilization of Disabled People in the United States: https://nwlc.org/resource/forced-sterilization-of-disabled-people-in-the-united-states/ American Progress's article ‘Rethinking Guardianship to Protect Disabled People's Reproductive Rights: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/rethinking-guardianship-to-protect-disabled-peoples-reproductive-rights/
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona discusses what's behind the growing teacher shortage and how modifications to the education system, including adequate compensation can help replenish the need for educators in the U.S. Then, Ford Foundation program officer for U.S. disability rights Rebecca Cokley and the National Center for Learning Disabilities CEO Jacqueline Rodriguez talk about the lasting impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the continued strain on resources that have hit America's 7 million students with disabilities especially hard. Conversation recorded on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Have you ever felt paralyzed by all the “stuff” involved in charting a path and advocating for your child? I'm sure I'm not the only one who's put off calling the insurance company or establishing a relationship with a new health care provider because at the time it felt too overwhelming and daunting. But what if there was a resource that provided everything parents and caregivers need to know about navigating all the complex, but critical, aspects of raising a neurodivergent child? How great would that be? I've got some good news for you! Today's guest, Kelley Coleman, has created that resource — it's her brand new book called Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports. Kelley's book draws upon over a decade of experience, including her own experience parenting a child with multiple disabilities. It's an honest, relatable, actionable roadmap to the practicalities of parenting a disabled child, featuring personal stories, expert interviews, and the foundational information parents need to know about topics including diagnosis, school, doctors, insurance, financial planning, disability rights, and what life looks like as a parent caregiver. In this conversation, Kelley, a feature film development executive turned author and advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities, shares so many insights from her book, including the difference between being a parent and being a caregiver, strategies for navigating Insurance, working with medical teams, and other daunting systems, future care planning, and so much more. Seriously, Kelley has created SUCH an incredible resource in this book, because she's researched, and mapped, and made simple and doable the key things and tools parents need to stop wasting unnecessary time, money, and stress as they navigate this journey. Enjoy the episode, and please share it with others who would benefit from Kelley's insight and positive approach so that they can spend less time filling out forms, and more time loving their children exactly as they are. About Kelley Coleman Kelley Coleman is a feature film development executive turned author and advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities. Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports draws upon over a decade of experience, including her own experience parenting a child with multiple disabilities. Kelley lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two boys, and her son's trusty service dog. Things you'll learn from this episode What the difference is between parenting and caregiving and why it's an important distinction to make What some of the most common challenge nondisabled parents face embracing disability in their children Why it's critical that parents and caregivers have access to practical information (and why it's so hard to find) Strategies for navigating Insurance, working with medical teams, and other daunting systems Why financial planning is so important and how to get started The benefits of connecting with experts and disabled leaders in the disability community Resources mentioned for Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child Kelley Coleman's website Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports by Kelley Coleman Kelley Coleman on Instagram Kelley Coleman on Facebook Emily Ladau's website Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally by Emily Ladau Activist Emily Ladau on Demystifying Disability (Tilt Parenting Podcast) Judy Heumann (disability rights activist) Rebecca Cokley (disability rights activist) After Revealing He Couldn't Read, Former Convict Is Inspiring Others on TikTok — Here's How (People Magazine article about Oliver James) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this week's episode I sat down with Rebecca Cokley. Rebecca is the program officer for the Ford Foundation's first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program, which is focused on strengthening the field, building a pipeline of diverse leadership, promoting disability pride, and mobilizing resources toward disability rights work. Prior to joining the foundation Rebecca was the co-founder of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress and is a three-time presidential appointee under President Obama. With 2024 being a pivotal election year we discuss the disability rights and disability justice issues on the ballot, as well as ways in which the disability community can get involved, highlighting the work that is being done by individuals and organizations, the fact that visibility is often confused for impact when it doesn't have to be and much, much more. Follow Rebecca Cokley: Twitter: @RebeccaCokley Organizations Mentioned: AAPD RevUp Campaign Center American Progress Data For Progress Disability Victory New Disabled South Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin
Rebecca Cokley, program officer for the Ford Foundation's first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about navigating the workplace while disabled. From advocating for accommodations, to giving yourself a pep talk during a relapse, to saying "no" to work travel while immunocompromised-- Rebecca shares the wisdom that comes from lifelong personal experience.Need advice about a sticky situation at work? We're here for you! Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it.Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.
This week, Off-Kilter continues our ongoing series of conversations with social justice leaders digging into why, in the famous words of Audre Lorde, self-care is political warfare—and the role radical self-care plays in their own lives to sustain them in this work. As we've explored a good bit in recent weeks as part of this series, the disability community harbors some of the greatest wisdom when it comes to radical self-care—with disabled people as modern-day oracles, as activist Alice Wong often puts it. For this week's episode, Rebecca sat down with Keith Jones, a longtime disability rights and justice activist, cofounder of Krip Hop Nation, president and CEO of Soul Touchin' Experiences, and a visionary thinker when it comes to approaching social justice work itself as a form of radical self-care for the collective. As Keith puts it: “In order to build a stronger community, there must be a heart and soul commitment to those who need assistance in order to begin caring for themselves and in turn caring for others.” They had a far-ranging conversation about one of the most significant barriers to self-care for people with disabilities: asset limits and other backwards policies that make “work until you die” the default retirement plan for a huge swath of the U.S. disability community; what it looks like to enter social justice work from the starting point that “everything has a soul”; how Keith has woven together hip hop music into his disability activism through Krip Hop Nation; and more. For more: Learn more about Keith's work with Soul Touchin' Experiences, Krip Hop Nation, and follow him on twitter @dasoultoucha Learn more about why “work until you die” is the retirement plan for so many disabled people in this op-ed by Rebecca Cokley
A law moving through the Kansas legislature is set to weaken the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and two cases before the Supreme Court could narrow the ability of disabled people to sue over violations of their rights. We speak with Rebecca Cokley, Program Officer for U.S. Disability Rights at the Ford Foundation, about what this could mean for the future of disability access.
A law moving through the Kansas legislature is set to weaken the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and two cases before the Supreme Court could narrow the ability of disabled people to sue over violations of their rights. We speak with Rebecca Cokley, Program Officer for U.S. Disability Rights at the Ford Foundation, about what this could mean for the future of disability access.
This week, Off-Kilter is taking a break from our ongoing series about self-care as political warfare to honor the life and legacy of Judy Heumann, an iconic civil rights leader and the godmother of the disability rights movement. Judy passed away on March 4, 2023, at age 75. It was especially important to the Off-Kilter team and to many of us at The Century Foundation to do a tribute to Judy for this week's episode of the podcast because she was a mentor, friend, and an inspiration to so many of us personally, as is true for nearly everyone involved with the movement for disability rights and justice. Those of us engaged in disability rights advocacy and activism today simply wouldn't be doing this work if not for the trail Judy blazed. It is with a heavy heart, balanced out with immeasurable gratitude and love, that we dedicate this week's episode of Off-Kilter to celebrating the life of Judy Heumann. Rebecca was joined for this special tribute by several members of TCF's Disability Economic Justice Team: Kim Knackstedt, Kings Floyd, and Emily Ladau. Show notes Listen to the full Off-Kilter episode with Judy, Rebecca Cokley, Mia Ives-Rublee, and Representative Ayanna Pressley from September 2022 that's excerpted in this tribute Here is TCF's statement honoring Judy; and here are some of our favorite tributes to Judy: Rebecca Cokley's CNN op-ed; NPR's Joe Shapiro; AAPD's obituary And if you haven't watched Crip Camp yet, you're doing it wrong.
Judy Heumann is known as the mother of the disability rights movement. Her advocacy and lobbying eventually led to the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rebecca Cokley, U.S. disability rights program officer with the Ford Foundation, joins us to talk about what today's activists can learn from Heumann's legacy. Then, an investigation by the Washington Post uncovered evidence of a massacre in Tigray carried out by Eritrean troops just days before a peace deal was made. Katharine Houreld led the investigation and joins us. And, labor organizer Saket Soni's new book "The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America" details his work in helping Indian workers lured to Mississippi to repair oil rigs post-Katrina and essentially imprisoned by their employers. Soni joins us.
As Off-Kilter continues our ongoing series of conversations with leaders across the economic justice movement digging into why, in the famous words of Audre Lorde, self-care is political warfare—and the role radical self-care plays in their own lives to sustain them in this work—Rebecca Vallas had a ton of fun sitting down with her next guest in the series, who's a dear friend and colleague of hers and who's been on this show enough times she really needs no introduction. Rebecca Cokley is a longtime disability rights activist who serves as the disability rights program officer at the Ford Foundation (whose support of TCF and the Disability Economic Justice Collaborative makes this show possible week to week). They had a far-ranging conversation about disabled people as modern-day oracles when it comes to radical self-care; the role of philanthropy in supporting self-care across social justice movements; the story behind why she started doing daily Twitter reminders to the disability community to eat lunch; and lots more. For more: Follow Rebecca Cokley on Twitter @rebeccacokley to get her lunchtime reminders to eat (and lots more)
As Off-Kilter continues our ongoing series of conversations with leaders across the economic justice movement digging into why, in the famous words of Audre Lorde, self-care is political warfare—and the role radical self-care plays in their own lives to sustain them in this work—Rebecca Vallas had a ton of fun sitting down with her next guest in the series, who's a dear friend and colleague of hers and who's been on this show enough times she really needs no introduction. Rebecca Cokley is a longtime disability rights activist who serves as the disability rights program officer at the Ford Foundation (whose support of TCF and the Disability Economic Justice Collaborative makes this show possible week to week). They had a far-ranging conversation about disabled people as modern-day oracles when it comes to radical self-care; the role of philanthropy in supporting self-care across social justice movements; the story behind why she started doing daily Twitter reminders to the disability community to eat lunch; and lots more. For more: Follow Rebecca Cokley on Twitter @rebeccacokley to get her lunchtime reminders to eat (and lots more)
Thursday, November 10th, 2022 Rebecca Cokley is a disability-rights advocate and the first U.S. Disability Rights Program Officer for the Ford Foundation. From 2009 to 2013, she served as an appointee in President Barack Obama's White House. We discuss the lived experience of being disabled in America. It's an important conversation that truly exposes the inequities of our society. We don't live in a society that allows for equality for disabled people. In fact, if you're disabled, you're more likely to be poor. Also, most people see disability rights as extra. We have to fundamentally shift to an equity mindset and go back to address the historic inequities from the beginning. Follow Rebecca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaCokley Follow Mila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/milaatmos Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey! http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard Want to support the show and get it early? https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Check out the Future Hindsight website! www.futurehindsight.com Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Rebecca Cokley Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producers: Zack Travis and Sara Burningham
Rebecca Cokley is a Program Officer, developing the U.S. disability rights program strategy at the Ford Foundation. Prior to joining Ford, Rebecca was the co-founder and director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress (CAP). She was responsible for organizing a campaign that resulted in an unprecedented 12 Presidential candidates developing disability policy platforms. Prior to her work at CAP, she served as the executive director for the National Council on Disability where she worked on sexual violence on college campuses, policing reform, and the civil rights of disabled parents. A three time Presidential Appointee, Rebecca served in key policy roles at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a successful stint at the White House where she oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts for the Obama Administration. Learn more about Rebecca and the Ford Foundation. Learn more about Cara Reedy. Learn more about The Passionistas Project. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Passionistas: Hi, we're sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington. We founded the Passionistas Project to tell the stories of women who are following their passions and fighting for equality for all. The more we spoke with women for our podcast, subscription box and the annual Power of Passionistas Summit, the more we saw a common trait in all of them. They are unstoppable. Whether they chose to use their voices to start a women owned brand or fight for the rights of the marginalized, we found that all Passionistas are resilient, compassionate and persistent. Each year, we honor women who embody these qualities by presenting the Passionistas Persist Awards. This episode of the podcast is an interview with one of the 2022 recipients. Our final award this evening is the Passionistas Persist Humanitarian Award, which honors a woman who spends her days in pursuit of equal rights and promoting human welfare for all people. The award is being presented by Cara Reedy, a journalist, actor, director and photographer. As the director of the Disabled Journalist Association, Cara knows that the world is missing out on some of the best stories on the planet, and the journalist in her knows that can't stand. Cara: I met Rebecca three years ago when I was interviewing her for a documentary I was working on at The Guardian. Literally, the moment we clapped eyes on each other, she screamed, "You don't get down with that LPA bullshit either." I knew we would be friends immediately. Rebecca is a second generation activist. She's been around since she could ride on her godmother's wheelchair to, uh, protest. She was the co-founder and director of the Disability Justice Initiative at Center for American Progress, where she built out a progressive policy platform that protected the rights and services disabled people depend on for survival and also developed an innovative solutions like a proposed disability disabled worker tax credit, and increased access to capital for disability owned small businesses. She stewarded a campaign that resulted in an unprecedented 12 presidential candidates developing disability policy platforms. She's a three-time presidential appointee. Rebecca served in key policy roles at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts for the Obama administration. I'm honored to present her with a Passionistas Persist Humanitarian Award. Rebecca: Thank you so much, Cara. It is such a tremendous honor to accept the 2022 Passionistas Persist Humanitarian Award. 43 years ago, my parents, both people with dwarfism, recorded an interview for a local news station where they said that they hoped for a future for their child or people with dwarfism would not be jokes. Could achieve any job they desired and live a life free from discrimination. Their work as activists and advocates paved the road that led me to youth leadership programs, to the University of California, Santa Cruz, Go Banana Slugs, the White House, numerous campaigns and today at the Ford Foundation. As the mom of three, I find myself honestly wishing the same thing for my children. 43 years later. If there was anything I learned from my mom, a single mom who became a single mom when my dad left us after she got accepted into college, there was a lesson in persistence. Sometimes the only way out is through. And in troubling times like these, there is no one else I would rather be in the trenches with, working our way through all of this hot mess, than all of you fellow Passionistas. Thank you again for this tremendous honor. Cara: I always like to think about like how people grew up and like I grew up in a, in a house full of black people cuz we were black, that persisted through the Civil Rights Movement, but I didn't have a full understanding of like disability as an identity, how they intersect. Just I, I was a little behind kind of in my understanding of disability and oppression. How do you feel? You being a second generation, um, activist in this space has prepared you to attack the problem, the problems of oppression of disabled people. How did your understanding of your oppression as a child lead you to this and, um, having your parents kind of lead you to. Rebecca: My parents never hesitated to talk about either our oppression that we faced as people with the warism or the privilege that we faced. And you know, you see, I have a good trouble banner up in the background. Um, my dad was the son of a federal judge in Selma, Alabama. I have no problem using the term, a white supremacist federal judge in Selma, Alabama. Um, who. Routinely through Freedom Writers in Jail who oversaw the travesty. That was the Reverend James Reeb trial and who, uh, filed an injunction that made it, like, made it a violation of the law for three or more African Americans to congregate in Selma and talk about voting. And that history was never hidden from me. My parents were very open in talking about. How my dad was raised, how he was brought up, um, his parents and, and siblings perception of the world and their place in it. And you know, for my dad, yes, he was, you know, the younger son of this, this big time jackass of a judge. But my dad was also the only little person in his family. And so, you know, wherever they went, yes, he was the judge's kid, but he was also the d. Um, and his older brother had schizophrenia. So in a, in a very southern, very patriarchal family. Both sons were disabled. And I think that was something that was never lost on my dad. His, his brother became institutionalized when my dad was a teenager and his brother was in, was in his early twenties. Um, and so while yes, he grew up with a lot of privilege, he also grew up with a brother. You know, nobody talked about. Um, and then he was the heir, or, you know, you had the air and the spare if we're gonna, you know, use a, use a, um, a monarchy term. Um, and the spare was a little person. And so, uh, you know, my dad. Spent a lot of time thinking about what, what his life was like. And my dad grew up with gay friends in Alabama and saw how they were treated and ended up at a little people convention where he met my mom. Who was the, the number five of nine kids, all red haired flower children. And it was love at first sight. My dad went home to Alabama and packed up the 69 Camaro and drove her from Selma to San Francisco. Um, and they got married like six months after my mom turned 18. And, uh, my mom was also the only person with dwarfism in her family. And growing up at the bay at the height of the AIDS epidemic, my dad ran a Center for Independent Living. My mom ran a disabled student center at a community college. . And so they were losing friends and students and clients left and right. And I remember as a kid, like my parents skipping my ice skating lesson for us to go to funerals. And I remember like being like, Why are we going to another funeral? And my parents being like, Nobody deserves to die alone. Like, we have a responsibility to show up for people. Um, and that was always my parents' core value. And you know, we would talk about things like, I remember. When I had the realization that my dad's best friend was gay. And I remember asking my dad, Why does Uncle Don's roommate come with us whenever we go anywhere? Like, why, why does, why does Mark come with us? And my dad was like, Well, that's his, you know, that's his roommate. And my mom was like, Come on, Billy, Like, give me a break. And my dad was like, That's his partner. They love each other. And like, I was six. And so it was like, Oh, they love each other. Ok, that's cool. Like whatever. Um, you know, so my parents were really open in both talking about sort of the, the ways they moved about the world, but also the fact that like, that there was oppression and that we had to talk about it, and that it wasn't always like stiff upper lip or, you know, pick yourself up from the bootstraps. That there are days that it really sucks being a disabled person and like they didn't hide that. . Cara: You also kind of touched on like grief being a really big part of being disabled. I don't say that lightly. But what I, whenever I say this or, or bring up something that's negative around disability, people are like, We knew it. And it's like, no, not, you don't really get it. Like, that's not what we mean by that. But it's, but there is a level of grief that is involved in being disabled. Um, because the systems let you down so often. How do you navigate your grief, um, to keep moving? Rebecca: I was in your spot and I was interviewing Senator Tammy Duckworth, um, when we launched the project that I was running at the time at the Center for American Progress. And I asked her about it, um, as a disabled woman veteran, and she said, You know, Becca, sometimes you just have to embrace the. And I thought that phrase was so perfect, and I was like, I've never heard anyone just say it like that. And she was like, Yeah, there's days. It totally sucks. Um, and there's days that it's really rough. And that's, that's the reality. And we don't tell the, we don't do any of us a service by not being willing to talk about that. And I think as a, you know, as a kid, growing, My parents, um, handled people staring at us very differently. My dad being a southern kid and being a judge of son, was it, you know, eternal politician would go be like, Hi, my name is Billy. And me like, I was sitting in the corner like going like at like six and I remember the first time I did that and my mom, like the other parent, grabbed my mom and was like, Do you know that your child just flipped off my. and my mom pulled me aside and was like, Did you just flip them off? And I was like, No. I gave them the finger. And she was like, That's what that means, . Um, and I was like, Why is it okay for them to act that way towards me in public? Like, why am I supposed to be, um, okay with it? Um, you know, it's not okay. And like if I can't act that way in public, Like, why are they allowed to act that way? And my mom was always like, Well, you know, different people are raised differently and whatever. But like there are moments like I find even now as a parent watching my kids grow up. Um, and, you know, two, three years of a pandemic meant my kids weren't in school with their peers all of this time. They were remote learning. And I remember my son's response the first time. He saw his best friends from, that he had been going to school with from kindergarten on after this break. And he was like, Mom, they got really tall. And I was like, Yeah, they did. And he was like, Oh. and it was a reminder for my hus, like my son is a, is a jock. He loves sports, he's super outgoing. But I remember when I was on softball teams and I remember when it got to the point where my 100% was literally dwarfed by their 100%. And no matter how hard I tried, like I couldn't keep. And that's like, and, and going through that period of time. And I remember coming across a, a book on dwarfism, um, recently actually that had my mom's story in it. And my mom talked about how when she was 16, my grandpa, to me woods just north of San Francisco and with the family of nine kids, nobody got alone time with parents. It just doesn't happen. And my grandfather sat in the car with my mom in the, in the Volkswagen bug that they had and told her she was never gonna get any. And, and her talking about her morning process and like that wasn't something my parents took for me. And so, you know, there are days when it sucks. I mean, I remember there was a job I really wanted a vice president for health justice for, for a progressive women's organization. I was a finalist. And then they called me to tell me I wasn't getting the job. And what they said, and I quote was, Our organization is not ambitious enough to hire someone. Oh, and I was like, What the, like what the hell? Like, am I, is that a compliment? Is it an insult? Like, how do I even take that? And I remember being like, Oh, okay, like you're proud that your organization has such a ba like backwards view about the world. Um, you know, And so I think it's just, it doesn't, doesn't mean you're not proud in who you are. It actually means that you have just. Like, you know who you are. I've spent a lot of time like investigating ableism that like ableist ideas I have and um, I feel like you end up kind of almost mourning that like period where you're like, Oh, this isn't gonna get any better. Like, it's always gonna be like this, but that's okay cuz I know how to do. And you have people to do it with. I think, you know, growing up with community, with people with all different types of disabilities, with role models, with dwarfism, um, had such a positive impact on me because, you know, did I know when I was like a teenager that like the people that I looked up to had the same insecurities and fears and whatnot that I didn't know they were the cool teenager. Who managed to get their parents to pay for altering acid washed jeans and let them crimp their hair like they were cool. Um, and like being able to see that was really important. Being able to, um, . I remember the first time I ever saw a porn and I was at my godmother's bridal shower and I was, I was, 15 and in a room with a whole bunch of women with a whole bunch of different types of disabilities. There were deaf women, there were cerebral palsy, there were women who used communication boards to talk. It was like the most like pro feminist, rabel, rousing crew of like disabled, crippled women on the face of the planet. And this porn came on. And I remember just like being like, I dunno what to do with this Ok, this is interesting. And like they thought it was the funniest thing on the face of the planet. I remember just being. This room of like real, like what does it say that this room of really, like, we're sitting here laughing at the ables doing like sex acts on TV as a room of like disabled women and just being like, this is funny. Like, right, this is funny. Like, am I supposed to laugh at this? And I remember my mom just be like, I cannot believe I'm watching this with my 15 year old daughter. Um, you know, and, and I think it's moments like that where, You share space or, I mean, as, um, my, Patrick and I just watched almost Famous the other night and they talk about the, the currency of being collectively uncool. Mm. And I think there's something about that, like among other disabled people or among other people from other diverse communities too. Cause I've found similar, um, similar support and comfort among like my black women friends. You know, one of my biggest frustrations is, doing media and having the article come out later that's like little person, big, whatever. Or you know, Rebecca's personality is so big. I never noticed she was small and it's so enraging cuz it's like, so you don't understand my reality and you don't know me. From the time I wake up in a bed that's oversized and huge and made by Restoration Hardware and I have to high jump to get on it, even though I really love it. Um, I wake up in a world that's been structured for average type people, so I have to talk to you like a child because you're acting like a child. Um, you know, And so I think that there is this, I I watch media claim to try to. But that would actually require, as, you know, like the, the labor that comes with doing the work versus being able to say, Well, let's just like slap a reality show tag on it and call it a day. Passionistas: We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and you are listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast. Are you looking for the perfect holiday gift for the women in your life? Visit ThePassionistasProject.com to order our subscription box filled with products made by women owned businesses and female artisans to inspire women to follow their passions. Get a free mystery box with a one-year subscription using the code WINTERMYSTERY. Now here's more of the Passionista Persist Award ceremony. Cara: I find there's a lot of. Language around sensitivity. Like, Oh, we are going to be sensitive to, to disabled people. And I'm like, well, I don't care about your sensitivity because this is fake sensitivity. What I need you to do is do your job and investigate things. I don't care about your feelings. Which kind of brings me to my next question about you building out your the Ford Disability Program. I, I feel like one of the things that you do the best, you do a lot of things great, but like one of the bigger, biggest things is that you're such a connector, but you not only connect dots, but you. You understand how to fund them and like it's, it's been amazing to watch just from the little bit. I know. Can you talk a little bit about how you've approached kind of building this groundbreaking sort of platform and base for so long? Rebecca: The number one thing holding back work in the disability rights and justice base. We don't have money. And so I remember, um, when I was at the National Council on Disability, I should know even before that, I remember when I was working for President Obama and I needed to find people with disabilities that were experts in housing policy. And I made like 30 calls and I couldn't find anybody. I was just like, Oh my God, this has, this is ridiculous. Why is there this problem? And you know, part of the problem is because people with disabilities live in a state of legalized, codified poverty. And so folks don't go to college or can't go to college, can't afford going to college, or if they go to college they can't work. Cause if they work, they lose their health insurance. Um, and I remember just being like, what would it be like if like money wasn't the problem? Like, what could we build? And so I started years ago building this list that was originally entitled things that We Need. And it was like a cross disability rights community housing portfolio, like policy agenda. Like what, what do we like? What are the issues? What are the problems, et cetera. Um, like what else do we need? Why do we keep, I remember saying like, why do we keep funding exoskeleton? When disabled people by the thousands die every year as a result of bed sores, like Jesus, do we need another GA exoskeleton? And why is money going to this? And people are like, Oh, the, the averages and the ables are like, Oh, it's exoskeleton. So, yeah, but I'd rather not die of a bed. So, um, and so I just started building a list and then, uh, when I was asked to apply for the job at Ford, the list became a bit more formal and turned into cool shit. I want the Ford Foundation to fund at the back of a notebook and in it, um, I'm very specifically laid out like, we need a place doing work on immigration reform. We need to fund work, uh, supporting. Native and indigenous folks with disabilities. Um, we need a disabled journalist organization. We need a disabled, or we need an organization of disabled doctors. Um, you know, especially during this pandemic. And so much of the, the health reporting is just so crappy. So if we have good journalists and we have good doctors, like as a package deal, we can, we can move something forward. Um, you know, and real like, I need a disabled economist. I wanna be able to break down the numbers. So we can actually tell the real story around disability and poverty and like, if we're talking about reparations, have we thought about how reparations would impact disabled African Americans? No, we haven't. Well, how do we make sure they don't screw African American disabled folks? Um, and can I get an economist to build out that work because I know we're really gonna need it, but no one's doing it. Um, and that's like the most fun part of the job is sometimes just like sitting back and being like, Okay. So if we get this, this, and this, like what's the next thing? What would be really cool to do? Like who? And also at the same time being at a place like Ford, like I joke all the time that when I was at the White House, everyone took my calls. No, like 90% of people took my calls. 100% of people take my calls when you give away money. . And I was lucky that I had friends that worked in the foundation space that were like, Enjoy it now. Cause when your time is up, nobody will answer your calls. They're like, so like, use it. Um, and so continually thinking of like, what are the spaces we need to be in and how can I use. The privilege that I have in my role at the Ford Foundation to get our people into those spaces and make sure that they're supported in those spaces and that they can thrive in those spaces. Cause it's not just getting in the door. Cause like you can get in the door and then be surrounded by a room full of assholes. Um, but how do we make sure it's the right door? How do we make sure whatever we're funding is set up to thrive? How do we make sure the people on the other end get it and are going to, to, to truly welcome and embrace, um, not just accept, but amplify and support disabled folks and disabled issues in that way. And, you know, I think through my career, like having the, the sort of sense of scale of the community that I do and sort of the sense of the progressive world as it is, you know, just always continually like keeping, keeping track of who's doing cool work, Like who's doing something that's really neat. Who's doing something that's different.. And is there a way that we can fund it? And if not us can I like connect them with another funder that can help support their work? Cara: Your kids are third generation now activist, and they're already Rebecca: Mouthy, obnoxious, persistent. Cara: They're persistent, which is, they're persistent. Where do you hope to get the disability right? Civil rights space to hand off to them? Rebecca: I want them to not have to choose whether they're black or they're disabled. Like I want them to be able to walk in a space, whether it be a disability, majority space, um, uh, African American majority space, and be welcomed and celebrated and support. For who they are, regardless of who their mother is. And what I had to do to, to lovingly encourage those organizations to stop being butt heads and let them in. I want them in those places and thriving, you know, if they, if they wanna be. I've made a point of never running for office in LPA because my mom did that my entire life. And I told myself I was not going to be an LPA officer because I wanted to be the parent at the pool with my kids. I wanted to know who their friends. I wanted their friends to know me. Um, and, you know, if they want to move in these spaces, I want them to feel comfortable with it. I want Kaya to be proud of the fact that Elizabeth Warren made her pinky promise to consider running for president one day that Elizabeth Warren called her to ask her about her presidential platform that you po that she had me post on Twitter, you know, and at the same time, I want ki if Kai wants to say, You know what? I wanna be a teacher instead, or I wanna be a mom. I want those choices to be her choices and not choices she feels are imposed on her or limited by society. And I want Kendrick to feel okay for just being an average. You know, I want good jobs for, for average kids like. Light bulb turner is just not good enough. Like person who hands down stuff to their mom from the top shelf at the grocery store. No. Like he can go to college too. He can do real things. Cara: What are you most passionate about? Rebecca: It's hard in this moment to think about things that we're fighting for. You know, like I won't, I frankly, am struggling like a lot of people and figuring out what is it I'm passionate about in this very moment because it's hard to feel excited about stuff as a disabled person and watching society be like, Oh, we're just going back to normal. And like I was talking to somebody recently and they're like, Well, as we go back and our grantees go back to to the office, and I was like, Who's grantees? I was like, my grantees aren't going back to work. My grantees are still afraid of going outside and dying. My grantees are mad that they have to take a, you take a bus to the pharmacy to get some damn in 90 fives, because our government didn't think enough about sticking them in the box with the task kits. I wanna get to a place where I can be like positively passionate about something I adamantly despise. And I pour JK Rowling in all of the horrible things she says and does. But as somebody that grew up, uh, reading Harry Potter as a, a late stage adolescent slash early adult, I remember like reading the first book on the plane when I realized that they wouldn't card me as a little person on the plane. And like drinking a Corona at like 19 on a plane was like the first Harry Potter. But I have a, I have a tattoo that says constant vigilance, um, which is Mad Eye Moody's, a constant warning throughout, um, book four. And I got that tattooed when Trump became president because I never wanted to take my eyes off of what was happening. I knew it would be really easy to turn away and just be like, I'm just not gonna listen to that guy. He's a reality show. Blow. And we need to be in the fight. And so I dream I, I am passionate about getting to a day where I don't have to be constantly vigilant. Tell us about a time you persisted back when I was at the Center for American Progress and we were starting to talk about the 2020 election, and I remember a colleague of mine. A dude who, um, was overseeing some parts of my work and may have contributed to giving me more aggressive migraines, which I still live with today. I'd never realized that somebody could actually give you a disability, but like this person gave me an extra disability and like I never even got to thank them for that said to me. What are the two or three things that you would like to see presidential campaigns buy into as it relates to your people? And so at the time we were thinking, well, elimination of sub wage marriage equality for disabled folks on SSI and means tested programs, um, greater funding of special education and home and community based services, HCPs were like, Those are the four things. And I remember sitting there and being like, Yeah, that. And I remember getting a phone call as I was walking through the airport, um, and I answered it and it was from a, a five 10 number, so it was Oakland and I answered it and it was a staffer for then Senator Kamala Harris. And they were like, Hey, so we wanna build a disability platform like it's own standalone platform. We don't just wanna like weave stuff into. The senator is is talking about, but like we want our own standalone. Like this is where she stands on these issues. And mind you, at this point in time, there were 25 Democrats running for president. So the field was beyond full. Um, and I remember talking to them as I like walked through the airport and being like, Well we could, like, these are like the four things. And they're like, Well, what else? And so I remember being like, Well, you know, we could look at, let's break down income inequality. Let's make sure that any income data is broken down by race and disability and race and disability together. Um, and they were like, Huh, okay, that's cool. You know, we talked about a couple other things and, and the phone, and then we hung up the phone. Then like three days later the phone rang and it was Senator Booker's staff, and they were like, Cory wants a disability platform. And so what I realized at the time, there were a couple things. One, everyone was looking for a way to stand out. And everyone was looking for a, a piece of vote that hadn't been claimed yet. Um, and the other part was on the cap website. Disability was right between climate and the economy. And so as they were going through pulling platform ideas from the organization, Like putting disability between climate and the economy. Alphabetically was genius because they were just like, Oh, let's call the disability people. Hey, I guess we need to have a disability platform. Cap says we should have it. Like, let's do that. I remember like after talking to, um, to, to Senator Booker staff being like, you could get bigger than this. What if it's not just four bullet points? What if we could get every can. To have a platform. And I remember people at my office being like, Oh, that's never gonna happen. And mind you, these were the same people that told us, Oh, this project's never gonna do anything. No one's ever gonna give you money. Like, ho hum, whatever. This is a trend. It'll go away eventually. Um, and then I remember actually like getting towards the end. And we had had, um, Pete Budha judges' platform come out and, and hiring Emily Vorge as a, as a campaign staffer. Um, Secretary Castro, Senator Warren. Um, and at that point we were waiting on, on on, on, uh, Senator Sanders's platform. And I was on a train and my phone rang and it was a a two one oh number. And so I answered the phone and it was Secretary Castro. And I was like, hello, this is Rebecca. And he is like, hey Rebecca, it's Julian. How are you? And I was like, Good. And he's like, look, I'm just calling to say thank. For what you did for writing that platform for us, I'm really proud of it. We're really excited and like this is massive for people with disabilities, for Texans with disabilities. He's like, this was a learning moment for me. And we talked for about 10 minutes on the train and I hung up the phone and never in my entire life had I ever received a call from any of the candidates I had worked with. And then the next week, Senator Warren called to say thank you. And to date, they are the two political candidates, um, that I've ever called to thank me for my work. Called me personally and just been like, Thank you. It was awesome. Like we learned. And it blew my mind because like, like I had expected we would get some things done. I expected, I was like, maybe we'll have an impact. But to see then Secretary Castro stand on the debate stage and get asked a question about education. And him talk about, and then also specifically turn it around to turn it into a disability question to see Senator Warren take a disability question, See, you know, second now Secretary Buttigieg. Um, to see Senator Sanders talk about home and community based services after he released a 40 page plan that included everything and the kitchen sink. God bless Bernie. And then to have to fight Biden and Biden's people who were my friends that I had worked with in the white. On putting out their disability platform and actually having to create a hashtag, hashtag access to Joe to shame them that he was the last man standing. We still didn't have a platform. And um, finally getting that out and then being able to take a app and just being like, I'm gonna take a nap now. Like, and then somebody was like, But what about Marion Williamson and Andrew Yang? And I was like, Nope. Had nothing to do with them. B bye bye . Um, you know, and today to still have the relationship. Secretary Castro and his team and Senator Warren and that they haven't given up. It wasn't a fluke, and if we hadn't have fought for it, we wouldn't have gotten it. Cara: Why is it important for women to lift each other up? Rebecca: We have a responsibility to do things better than previous generations, you know, and Richards used to say there's a special place in health for women that don't support each other, and I totally believe that that's true. Cara: What does the Power of Passionista mean to you? Rebecca: It's the power of the fight. It's the power of not giving up. Um, it's the power of the possible. The thinking about in this moment, feeling not excited about the world, but still not losing hope, like still having hope that we will get to a place where. Um, we can live our fullest lives, be bring our whole selves unabashedly and proudly and excitedly to whatever table we go to. Or if we don't like a table, you know what? We pull out a chainsaw. We saw the damn thing down. Set it on fire and we have a campfire and we set a campfire that we can all bring our whole selves to. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to the awards presentation with Rebecca Cokley and thanks to Cara Reedy for the amazing interview. To learn more about Cara and the Disabled Journalist Association, follow her on social media at InfamouslyShort. To learn more about Rebecca's work as the program officer for US disability rights, visit FordFoundation.org. And if you're looking for the perfect holiday gift for the women in your life, visit ThePassionistasProject.com to order our subscription box filled with products by women, own businesses, and female artisans. To inspire women to follow their passions, get a free mystery box with a one year subscription using the code WINTERMYSTERY. And be sure to subscribe to the Passionistas Project Podcast so you don't miss any of our upcoming inspiring guests. Until next time, stay well and stay passionate.
This week, continuing Off-Kilter's ongoing series of conversations about the limiting beliefs that we as a collective must release and replace to pave the way for economic liberation, Rebecca sat down with two dear friends and leaders within the disability rights and justice movement to talk about one of the most toxic limiting beliefs underpinning large-scale oppression in the United States today: the notion that a human being's worth comes from their work. They ended up having a far-ranging conversation about why disability leaders know this is not a moment to be seeking to return to “normal,” who the American dream was and wasn't designed to include, and some of the key limiting beliefs constraining the modern American philanthropic sector. Rebecca Cokley is the program officer for disability rights at the Ford Foundation, and Keith Jones is president and CEO of Soul Touchin' Enterprises. For more from this week's guests: Learn more about Keith's work here Learn more about Cokley's work as the first U.S. disability rights program officer at the Ford Foundation here Follow Cokley (@rebeccacokley) and Keith (@dasoultoucha) on Twitter And get caught up on the permanent economic recession facing the U.S. disability community in this TCF-CEPR report
This week, continuing Off-Kilter's ongoing series of conversations about the limiting beliefs that we as a collective must release and replace to pave the way for economic liberation, Rebecca sat down with two dear friends and leaders within the disability rights and justice movement to talk about one of the most toxic limiting beliefs underpinning large-scale oppression in the United States today: the notion that a human being's worth comes from their work. They ended up having a far-ranging conversation about why disability leaders know this is not a moment to be seeking to return to “normal,” who the American dream was and wasn't designed to include, and some of the key limiting beliefs constraining the modern American philanthropic sector. Rebecca Cokley is the program officer for disability rights at the Ford Foundation, and Keith Jones is president and CEO of Soul Touchin' Enterprises. For more from this week's guests: Learn more about Keith's work here Learn more about Cokley's work as the first U.S. disability rights program officer at the Ford Foundation here Follow Cokley (@rebeccacokley) and Keith (@dasoultoucha) on Twitter And get caught up on the permanent economic recession facing the U.S. disability community in this TCF-CEPR report
It is still legal to sterilized a disabled person without their consent in over 30 states in the United States. And despite the Americans with Disabilities Act barring discrimination, barriers persist in healthcare spaces that make it inaccessible to many disabled people, including costs. Even when disabled people find their way around these, many find they must constantly advocate for their healthcare providers to see them as capable of making their own choices in reproduction, pregnancy and parenting. Bodily autonomy, self-determination, the right to have a child and the right to choose not to — these are the ideas at the core of both reproductive justice and disability justice. We speak with Laurie Bertram Roberts, co-founder and executive director of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund and Rebecca Cokley, Program Officer for U.S. Disability Rights at the Ford Foundation.
It is still legal to sterilize a disabled person without their consent in over 30 states in the United States. And despite the Americans with Disabilities Act barring discrimination, barriers persist in healthcare spaces that make it inaccessible to many disabled people, including costs. Even when disabled people find their way around these, many find they must constantly advocate for their healthcare providers to see them as capable of making their own choices in reproduction, pregnancy and parenting. Bodily autonomy, self-determination, the right to have a child and the right to choose not to — these are the ideas at the core of both reproductive justice and disability justice. We speak with Laurie Bertram Roberts, co-founder and executive director of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund and Rebecca Cokley, Program Officer for U.S. Disability Rights at the Ford Foundation.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we've seen huge repercussions for people's safety, health, access to medical care, and more. And we know that the overruling impacts people differently, depending on who you are. If you have marginalized identities, you experience more barriers to health care and, therefore, more barriers to accessing abortion and other reproductive-related health care. To dive deep into how the overturning affects one marginalized community--the disability community--we invited four disabled activists on the You First podcast to discuss how this ruling affects them, the disability community as a whole, and other marginalized groups, especially in ways that you may not have ever considered. It's important to bring an intersectional lens to these conversations in order to fully grasp what the repercussions look like after a ruling like this. We talked with Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Rebecca Cokley, Keith Jones, and Heather Watkins about what this ruling means to and for the disability community. Please note that this conversation discusses heavy themes and references systems of oppression such as racism and ableism, infanticide, abortion, and forced sterilization. Listen or read the transcript at your pace and always feel free to pause and take time for breaks. Links: Morénike Giwa Onaiwu https://morenikego.com/ https://twitter.com/morenikego Keith Jones http://dasoultoucha.com/About/ https://twitter.com/dasoultoucha Heather Watkins https://slowwalkersseemore.com/ https://twitter.com/hwatkins927 Rebecca Cokley https://rebecca-cokley.medium.com/ https://twitter.com/rebeccacokley
This week marked the thirty-second anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act—or ADA, as it's better known—the landmark civil rights law that promised equal opportunity and economic security for Americans with disabilities. As we've talked about a lot on this show over the years, as important as it is to celebrate how far we've come in the decades since the ADA became part of the fabric of American life, every time we hit the month of July, it's even more important to acknowledge how far will still have to go to achieve the as-yet unfulfilled promises of the ADA. And that's why this July, Off-Kilter has been once again spending all month long having conversations with leaders from across the disability community. To close out that series of conversations, this week we take a deep dive into one of the most egregious and discriminatory disability policies still on the books here in America—known as section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In a nutshell, 14(c) is an archaic loophole in federal wage and hour law that allows employers to pay disabled workers far less than the federal or state minimum wage just because of their disability. So, as Off-Kilter closes out this series of July conversations for #ADA2022, Rebecca sat down with two dear friends and visionary leaders within the disability community working not just to tinker around the edges of a status quo, wherein disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as their nondisabled peers, but to imagine and build a society that recognizes and affirms the human rights and dignity of all disabled people. Together they took a look at the history of subminimum wages for people with disabilities in the United States and their role in devaluing disabled people's labor and humanity; recent efforts to put 14(c) in the rearview mirror where it belongs; and the future of disability policy more broadly. This week's guests: Rebecca Cokley is the program officer for disability rights at the Ford Foundation, where she leads a portfolio she's been visioning and creating from scratch as the first program officer to oversee a disability rights portfolio at any major U.S. foundation. Before that she was Rebecca Vallas's partner in crime in co-founding the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress—the first dedicated disability project at a U.S. think tank—as well as president of the National Council on Disability. And Chai Feldblum currently serves as cice cChair of the Ability One Commission, the independent federal agency that oversees the AbilityOne Program, whose mission is to tap America's underutilized workforce of individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities to deliver high quality, mission-essential products and services to federal agencies in quality employment opportunities. Chai is a former law professor at Georgetown University and formerly served as a commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for several years, nominated by President Obama. For more on this week's topics: Here's the polling finding just 1 in 3 disabled voters believe leaders in Washington care about people with disabilities For more on the subminimum wage, check out this TCF report and this documentary by Rooted in Rights Here's Chai's lecture at Yale University on “Transforming Employment for People with Significant Disabilities” Read this piece in Inside Philanthropy on how Rebecca Cokley is leveraging her post at the Ford Foundation to push other philanthropic leaders to center disability in their grantmaking (and why Ford is partnering with TCF on the Disability Economic Justice Collaborative) Here's the Department of Housing and Urban Development's guidance on community living released this July; here's the Department of Transportation's new Airline Passengers with Disabilities' Bill of Rights; and here's the Department of Education's recent 504 guidance on preventing discriminatory use of school discipline Here's more from Rebecca Cokley and Rebecca Vallas on the bipartisan threat to the ADA that unfortunately hasn't gone away
Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications
What does an ideal relationship between a program officer and a grantee actually look like? Experienced program officer, Rebecca Cokley, joins me in this episode to answer this frequently asked question.
Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications
What does an ideal relationship between a program officer and a grantee actually look like? Experienced program officer, Rebecca Cokley, joins me in this episode to answer this frequently asked question.
This week marks a year of Always Looking Up, and what a year it has been. Over the past 365 days I have been able to talk to the most amazing people who empower me on a daily basis and for that I am forever grateful to those who came on to share their story. To celebrate this milestone I invited back someone I have always looked up to, one of my first ever guests, Rebecca Cokley. Rebecca is currently serving as a program officer in the President's Office of the Ford Foundation, developing the U.S. disability rights program strategy. We re-examine what it means to us to be a little person, discuss why it is so important to know and preserve our history, and contemplate how the definition of being a little person will evolve in the years to come. Follow Rebecca: Twitter: @RebeccaCokley Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Twitter: @jillx3456 Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin
To start I would like to issue a trigger warning. In this episode myself and my guests talk about sexual harassment and sexual assault. If these are triggers for you, please feel free to skip this episode. This episode was recorded less than 24 hours after Justice Alito's draft opinion indicating the Court was going to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked by Politico. I sat down with Rebecca Cokley, a program officer at the Ford Foundation, and Bekah Bailey, a disability rights advocate, to talk about how we feel in the moment, how this decision impacts the little person community, and the ways in which the community can and should step up to support its members. How To Find Your Loca Abortion Fund: https://abortionfunds.org/funds/ Where You Can Donate: Autistic Women and Non-Binary Network: https://awnnetwork.org/donate-to-awn/ The YELLOWHAMMER FUND: https://www.yellowhammerfund.org WE TESTIFY: https://www.wetestify.org Follow Bekah Bailey: Instagram: @_poopatraitor_ Follow Rebecca Cokley: Twitter: @RebeccaCokley Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Erin Ryan and Alyssa Mastromonaco discuss the highlights from Ketanji Brown Jackson's SCOTUS confirmation, and the Republicans embarrassing attempt to hijack the hearings. Plus disability rights activist, and the Ford Foundation's Disability Rights Program Officer Rebecca Cokley joins to discuss the significance and impact of the American Disability Act. Then Tien Tran and Kara Klenk join to talk about the recent Kim Kardashian and Kanye West headlines and the abusive dynamic unfolding in the media. Plus, a strongly worded plea to kill the fax machine in I Feel Petty. If you're experiencing domestic violence the National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24/7 and speaks English, Spanish and 200+ languages through an interpretation service. Call 800-799-7233. Show Notes: Rebecca Cokley wants you to know about Fannie Lou Hamer https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/fannie-lou-hamer Madame Hysteria this week is American fashion designer Ann Lowe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this week's episode I am sitting down with my brother Ben to talk about the controversy surrounding Disney's live action remake of Snow White. We discuss Peter Dinklage's public reaction, as well as other prominent members of the little person community, Disney's response to what Mr. Dinklage had to say, and how this instance exemplifies a long lasting struggle for the accurate representation of little people in Hollywood. Learn More: Peter Dinklage: Disney Responds to Peter Dinklage's 'Snow White' Live-Action Criticisms (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter How Hollywood Harms the Dwarfism Community (The Takeaway interview with Rebecca Cokley) Comedian Brad Williams Weighs In After Peter Dinklage And Disney Exchange Words Over Snow White (CinemaBlend) Peter Dinklage is not the only one angered by Disney's new "Snow White" (MSNBC) "He's Not King Dwarf," Other Actors Blast Peter Dinklage's Snow White Backlash (Inside The Magic) Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin
Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising)
On the radio show this week we cover disability rights; as well as what's happening with the assualt on abortion access and how you can help protect women's rights and bodily automony; the ways in which big pharma is taking advantage of taxpayers and how to fight back; and we also hear the latest on the fight for affordable, high quality, accessible childcare and Pre-K. *Special guests include: Rebecca Cokley, U.S. Disabilities Rights Officer Ford Foundation, @RebeccaCokley; Mini Timmaraju, NARAL Pro-Choice, @NARAL; Sapna Ramappa, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), @uaem; Stephanie Schmit, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), @CLASP_DC
On the radio show this week we cover disability rights; as well as what's happening with the assualt on abortion access and how you can help protect women's rights and bodily automony; the ways in which big pharma is taking advantage of taxpayers and how to fight back; and we also hear the latest on the fight for affordable, high quality, accessible childcare and Pre-K. *Special guests include: Rebecca Cokley, U.S. Disabilities Rights Officer Ford Foundation, @RebeccaCokley; Mini Timmaraju, NARAL Pro-Choice, @NARAL; Sapna Ramappa, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), @uaem; Stephanie Schmit, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), @CLASP_DC
Local community group Alliance San Diego hosted its annual All People's Celebration honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and KPBS spoke to keynote speaker Rebecca Cokley about issues impacting the disabled community. Next, Voice of San Diego reporter Maya Srikrishnan discusses who was left out of the recent 2020 census data despite San Diego's growing diversity. Later, UCSF physician Dr. Lindsay Ryan on assistance for those with damaged immune systems amidst the pandemic. Later, visitors can now look through Mount Wilson Observatory telescopes in Los Angeles (for a price). Plus, a new exhibition at Art Produce in North Park reflects on the aftermath of decades of war in Laos. Finally, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., Turner Classic Movies has created a program of documentary shorts and features looking at the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
With the Senate announcing they're heading into recess without passing the Build Back Better Act, we figured why not get out of the news cycle for Off-Kilter's last episode of the year and instead have a far more good-news conversation that Rebecca Vallas has been meaning to have for a while with her dear friend Rebecca Cokley of the Ford Foundation.
With the Senate announcing they're heading into recess without passing the Build Back Better Act, we figured why not get out of the news cycle for Off-Kilter's last episode of the year and instead have a far more good-news conversation that Rebecca Vallas has been meaning to have for a while with her dear friend Rebecca Cokley about what she's got underway at the Ford Foundation, in her history-making new role as the first program officer to head a U.S. disability rights portfolio at a major U.S. foundation. For more: Learn more about Rebecca Cokley's newly launched disability rights program at the Ford Foundation Here's more on what the Rebeccas mean when they say “disability is a cause and consequence of poverty” Follow Rebecca Cokley on Twitter: @rebeccacokley
Air Date 12/8/2021 Today we take a look at the state of disability rights and reexamine what we thought we knew about what it means to be disabled in a society that is not built to accommodate various physical and mental disabilities. Is one inherently disabled by their condition or do they become disabled when they bump up against unnecessary barriers in society? Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: Check out Tentree.com and use the promo code "Best" for 15% off BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Rebecca Vallas on Disability Rights - The Ongoing Struggle - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 8-7-21 Rebecca Vallas is a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation Ch. 2: The ongoing fight for disability economic justice, over thirty years after the ADA Part 1 - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 9-10-21 Rebecca talks with four of the disabled women leaders who've been making history on the front-lines of the ongoing fight for disability economic justice: Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Judy Heumann, Rebecca Cokley, and Mia Ives-Rublee. Ch. 3: Disability Justice (w Lateef McLeod) Part 1 - Srsly Wrong - Air Date 11-23-21 This week Lateef Mcleod joins the Wrong Boys to discuss the principles of Disability Justice, why accessibility is important for everyone, and how capitalism systematically reduces people to our labor power, denying our wholeness as human beings. Ch. 4: The ongoing fight for disability economic justice, over thirty years after the ADA Part 2 - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 9-10-21 Ch. 5: The Capitalist War Being Waged on Disabled People w Ellen Clifford - Downstream - Air Date 11-22-21 Ellen speaks about her book, The War on Disabled People: Capitalism, Welfare and the Making of Human Catastrophe, discussing the social model of disability, the history of the Disabled People's Movement, and consequences of austerity policies. Ch. 6: The ongoing fight for disability economic justice, over thirty years after the ADA Part 3 - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 9-10-21 Ch. 7: Disability Justice (w Lateef McLeod) Part 2 - Srsly Wrong - Air Date 11-23-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Disability Justice (w Lateef McLeod) Part 3 - Srsly Wrong - Air Date 11-23-21 Ch. 9: Why Are All The Baddies Disabled w/ Amanda Leduc - DownStream - Air Date 11-25-21 Ash Sarkar is joined by disability rights advocate Amanda Leduc, author of Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space, to discuss how depictions of disability have impacted the lives of disabled people and why Bruce Wayne isn't a hero. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Human nature - David from Los Angeles FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the Christian moralizing of economics and poverty MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions): Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world) Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of an empty accessible parking space with an accessibility symbol (person in wheelchair) painted in yellow on the ground in the space. The words "Is this the only time you put yourself in my place?" are painted underneath. Credit: Origin unknown, but earliest reference found is from 2014 on Twitter from the accounts @bengilchrist and @IsNoPrincess. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Thirty-one years ago, the fabric of America's legal and policy landscape changed dramatically for people with disabilities in the United States when the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush, on July 26, 1990. But, as far we've come these past thirty-plus years, we still have incredibly far to go. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, disabled people in the United States—who make up one in four Americans—were roughly twice as likely to live in poverty and two to three times more likely to be unemployed. Now, as federal policymakers work to "build back better," the United States has the opportunity to take another set of historic steps towards achieving the ADA's promise of equal opportunity, community integration, and participation in American life for people with disabilities—a promise that remains as-yet unfulfilled. For this special relaunch episode of Off-Kilter, Rebecca talks with four of the disabled women leaders who've been making history on the front-lines of the ongoing fight for disability economic justice: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7); Judy Heumann, whose historic activism jumpstarted the disability rights movement over forty years ago; Rebecca Cokley, a lifelong disability advocate and program officer at the Ford Foundation, where she heads the first U.S. disability rights program at any major foundation in the country; and Mia Ives-Rublee, the director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. To take action on home and community-based services and SSI: Text SIGN PXPBNX to 50409 Check out Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution for more on Judy Heumann's activism and the origins of the disability rights movement at cripcamp.com
This week I am sitting down with Rebecca Cokley, someone I have always looked up to in the little person and disabled communities. Rebecca is currently serving as a program officer in the President's Office of the Ford Foundation, a global grant-making philanthropy that challenges inequality, where she is developing the U.S. disability rights program strategy. Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, Rebecca was the co-founder of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress, the executive director of the National Council on Disability, and a presidential appointee under President Obama where she worked in the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. We discuss her career, what it means to be a disabled advocate in 2021, and the changes she wants to see and make in the world. Follow Rebecca: Twitter: @RebeccaCokley Ford Foundation: https://www.fordfoundation.org Follow me: Instagram: @jill_ilana ; @alwayslookingup.podcast Website: https://www.jillianilana.com This episode was edited by Benjamin Curwin
Tune in for the second episode of season 2, as Rebecca Cokley three-time Presidential appointee and first Disability Rights Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, joins the program.
Rebecca Cokley is one of the country's leading voices on disability rights, and centers race in her analysis and advocacy. She is the founding director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress, and served in the Obama administration from 2009-2013. Dr. Kendi sat down with the California native for a frank conversation on the intersections of ableism and racism in America, the historic civil rights legislation governing both, and what we can all do to advocate for a better future for people with disabilities. For further reading, resources, and a transcript of this episode, visit pushkin.fm/show/be-antiracist-ibram-kendi. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
“Inclusive Life for me means our movements have an understanding that it’s your vulnerabilities that make you strong.” This conversation with Rebecca Cokley is, in part, a peek into the disability rights movement from the intimate perspective of Rebecca’s childhood. Rebecca is an only child of two disabled and rather subversive activists whose family core value was speaking up when something wrong was happening to someone else. Cokley learns from her parents’ modeling how to navigate across movements, building coalitions to “rebuild a table that works for all of us.” She’s become a powerful and skilled advocate and policy expert for the disability community. It was fun to hear of her first encounter with Barack Obama, and how her work as his Diversity Officer in the Obama Administration made it possible for her to attend the best parties in DC all to advance Obama’s diversity agenda. Rebecca wrote Obama’s special education policy and helped him develop his platform for people with disabilities. She has been instrumental in shaping the disability platforms of the 2020 US Presidential candidates. In fact, twelve of the candidates developed disability platforms. Rebecca was pleased to note that even as the candidates exited the Presidential race, many are still involved in politics and are showing commitment to the platforms they adopted, influencing their work in response to the COVID pandemic. Rebecca walks us back through some of the important learnings of the disability community stemming from the AIDS epidemic and further back to the elders of the disability community: those who suffered from polio. This is a fascinating conversation and one that will help us all better understand that liberation movements are about people, and more than anything else, we’ve got to hold onto our people. Rebecca and I talked about: How her family shaped Rebecca as a leader and connector of movements; How the activism of the disability community laid the groundwork for necessary accommodations during COVID; Rebecca’s early work promoting diversity in Victoria’s Secret, of all places; Rebecca’s work in the Obama administration as the President’s Diversity Officer; Allyship; Strategies for pushing forward change; Why Rebecca’s work writing policy for 2020 US Presidential candidates has built an important foundation for people suffering as a result of the pandemic; Why Elizabeth Warren called; What’s at stake if the Affordable Care Act is dismantled; John Lewis’s inspiring words of advice to Rebecca BIO: Rebecca Cokley is the Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at The Center for American Progress, where her work focuses on disability policy. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent agency charged with advising Congress and the White House on issues of national disability public policy. She joined the NCD in 2013 after serving in the Obama administration for four years, including time at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a successful stint at the White House where she oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts. Cokley got her feet wet in advocacy while working at the Institute for Educational Leadership, where she built a number of tools and resources designed to empower and educate youth with disabilities and their adult allies. Since then, she has spent the last 15 years helping make stronger and deeper connections across civil rights communities and continues to see cross-movement solidarity as the only means of surviving these next four years. She is also currently working on her first book. In 2015, she was inducted into the inaugural class of the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the Frank Harkin Memorial Award by the National Council on Independent Living. Cokley has a Bachelor of Arts in politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is the proud spouse of Patrick and mother of Jackson and Kaya. --- Thank you so much for joining us! Our conversation continues on Facebook in our Inclusive Life Community. You can also follow us on Instagram and learn more at www.inclusivelife.co. Please click here to leave a review for The Inclusive Life Podcast. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out! ++ Instagram @inclusivelife ++ Facebook @inclusivelife ++ Facebook Group @Inclusive Life ++ Website www.inclusivelife.co Subscribe to The Inclusive Life Podcast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Google Podcasts
Rebecca Cokley is the director of the Disability Justice Initiative at American Progress, where her work focuses on disability policy. Most recently, she served as the executive director of the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent agency charged with advising Congress and the White House on issues of national disability public policy. She joined the NCD in 2013 after serving in the Obama administration for four years, including time at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a successful stint at the White House where she oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 26 is the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment and access to government services. Rebecca Cokley, who served in the Obama administration and is currently the director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress, recently talked to WXXI's Alex Crichton about the progress that has been made since the ADA went into effect and how much remains to be done. In this Q&A, Cokley, who was born with a common form of dwarfism, said we wouldn't have the ADA if it weren't for the passage of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act years earlier. This story is part of Move to Include , an initiative that uses the power of public media to inform and transform attitudes and behaviors about inclusion. Move to Include was founded by WXXI and the Golisano Foundation and expanded with a grant by the Corporation for Public
Rebecca talks with editor Alice Wong and contributors Rebecca Cokley and Patrick Cokley about "Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the 21st Century," an anthology of contemporary essays by disabled people released in June. Show notes: https://medium.com/@OffKilterShow/disability-visibility-first-person-stories-from-the-21st-century-4b61b70226c
Rebecca Cokley is the director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. She joins Jared to talk about her recent argument against ableist language when criticizing President Trump, the impact the Trump administration has had for the disability community, and her work with the Biden campaign on disability policy. Segment 1: More than ramps and water glasses Segment 2: Old white men doing push-ups Segment 3: “The disability community knew this was coming with Trump” Segment 4: Biden: “Joe’s part of our community” Segment 5: COVID: “This will be the largest boom in the disability population since AIDS/HIV" Segment 6: Vote By Mail & why Britney Spears can’t vote Segment 7: Key policy areas for the disability community Segment 8: One of the greatest gifts in this dumpster fire Rebecca Cokley on Twitter Full episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and other benefits are available to supporters of At The Table on Patreon. Host: Jared Rizzi [Twitter]
Episode Description: We’re joined by the ever insightful Amanda LeDuc this episode to talk about the portrayal of disability in fairytales. Join us as we look at stories like Snow White and The Little Mermaid through her lens, and get inspired by Amanda’s recommended resources on learning more about disability and advocacy. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of ableism, body mutilation, death, suicide, and Covid-19. Resources: Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People Works by Elsa Sjunneson Twitter account recommendations: Alice Wong, Rebecca Cokley, Dominick Evans, Elsa Sjunneson, Imani Barbarin, and Vilissa Thompson. Housekeeping - Donation: Please join us in donating to the National Bail Funds at http://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd - Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown. Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books - Merch: Our new digital coloring book is for sale at http://spiritspodcast.com/merch! - Multitude: The first season of NEXT STOP is now available to listen to in its entirety! Search for NEXT STOP in your podcast player or visit http://nextstopshow.com Guest - Amanda Leduc's essays and stories have appeared in publications across Canada, the U.S., and the UK. She is the author of Disfigured (Coach House Books: February 2020) and the novels The Miracles of Ordinary Men and the forthcoming The Centaur’s Wife. She has cerebral palsy and lives in Hamilton, Ontario, where she works as the Communications Coordinator for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD), Canada’s first festival for diverse authors and stories. She can also be found on Twitter and Instagram. Sponsors - Skillshare is an online learning community where you can learn—and teach—just about anything. Visit skillshare.com/spirits2 to get two months of Skillshare Premium for free! This week Amanda recommends “Easy & Versatile Baking: The One Yeast Dough You Need to Know” by Julia Turshen. - ThirdLove is on a mission to find a perfect bra for everyone. Get 15% off your first order at thirdlove.com/spirits. - Zombies, Run! is an app available for iPhone and Android that makes running a fun, hopeful, mission-driven activity. Download the app today to experience their New Adventures. Find Us Online If you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books. Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com. About Us Spirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.
Transcript"Resources that we've been using as reasonable accommodations are now being taken up by the rest of society due to shelter in place policies, and obviously this is something that's really important to do.” -Rebecca CokleyIn today’s episode, co-hosts Ron Klain and Dr. Celine Gounder speak with Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. Senator Hassan discusses her work in the Senate as the senior Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight and Emergency Management of the Homeland Security Committee. Senator Hassan also discusses the impact the pandemic has had on her personally, as she tries to keep her family, including her son who has severe cerebral palsy, healthy and safe. This episode also features an interview with Rebecca Cokley, a disability rights activist and Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. Rebecca discusses the challenges this pandemic has presented to persons with disabilities.This podcast was created by Just Human Productions. We're powered and distributed by Simplecast. We're supported, in part, by listeners like you.#SARSCoV2 #COVID19 #COVID #coronavirus
Rebecca Cokley of the Disability Justice Initiative on how people with disabilities have been left behind in the COVID-19 relief packages so far — and what the disability community needs now to weather the pandemic.
Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising)
On the #RADIO show this week we cover the impeachment trial and the state of democracy; we address the childcare crisis and how you can fix it; find out about President Trumps disastrous attack on disability insurance (SSDI and SSI) and how to help stop it; and we close the show sharing the excitement about how its no longer IF but WHEN paid family medical leave will finally pass so all of us can use it. *Special guests include: Reggie Hubbard, MoveOn, @MoveOn; Elliot Haspel, author of Crawling Behind: America's Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It, @ehaspel; Rebecca Cokley, Center American Progress, @amprog; Ruth Martin, MomsRising, @MomsRising.
On the #RADIO show this week we cover the impeachment trial and the state of democracy; we address the childcare crisis and how you can fix it; find out about President Trumps disastrous attack on disability insurance (SSDI and SSI) and how to help stop it; and we close the show sharing the excitement about how its no longer IF but WHEN paid family medical leave will finally pass so all of us can use it. *Special guests include: Reggie Hubbard, MoveOn, @MoveOn; Elliot Haspel, author of Crawling Behind: America's Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It, @ehaspel; Rebecca Cokley, Center American Progress, @amprog; Ruth Martin, MomsRising, @MomsRising.
Once again, the country mourns after a weekend that saw two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, and more than 30 innocents killed. And once again, the blame game—or, rather, the scapegoat game—is dialed up to high, with the disability community caught in the sights of the gun lobby and its allies in Congress, as is too often the case. As the president and his enablers remain eager to avoid any commitment to tackle the growing scourge of white nationalism, others are motivated to pick up the mantle once and for all. This week, Daniella is joined by two CAP colleagues—Chelsea Parsons, vice president for Gun Violence Prevention, and Rebecca Cokley, director of the Disability Justice Initiative—to try and make sense of the all-too-familiar violence, the easy scapegoating of people with mental illness, and the growing tide of white nationalism that is being cheered on from the Oval Office.
We break down a new CBO report that, contrary to some headlines, shows how a $15 minimum wage will change millions of lives for the better; States are doing what Trump refuses: making overtime pay work for workers; Rebecca Cokley returns to share how disability justice will save the progressive movement.
It’s another Disability Justice Initiative Takeover episode! Rebecca (Vallas) is joined by Rebecca Cokley, Azza Altiraifi & Valerie Novack of CAP’s disability program, plus special guest Matt Cortland (aka Medicaid Matt), for a conversation on the growing surveillance state targeting people with disabilities.
Interviews with Dustin Jones, board member for the Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY (CIDNY) and Rebecca Cokley, a leading disability rights activist in the United States. Rebecca is the Director for Disability Policy at the Center for American Progress policy institute in DC. She previously served as the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability and served as an appointee in the Obama administration. In this episode, we remember disability rights activist Carrie Ann Lucas. We also discuss transportation accessibility issues, ADA violations, and what’s next for disability rights. This episode is fully transcribed and available here: https://issuu.com/mayacontreras/docs/episode_5_-_a_day_in_the_life_of_ac Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rebecca sits down with three of her favorite colleagues & friends—Mara Pellittieri, Laura Durso, and Rebecca Cokley—to talk body shame, fashion, respectability politics and more—to take a break from the soul-crushing news cycle.
This week, host Erica Williams Simon chats with Rebecca Cokley, Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. They talk disability policy, fighting for justice for all, raising woke children and balancing motherhood with a demanding career.
One in five Americans live with disabilities, making nearly every issue — from health care to the environment to the economy, and more — a disability issue. That’s why earlier this week, in conjunction with the 28th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Center for American Progress announced the launch of the Disability Justice Initiative — in recognition that it’s long past time we stopped relegating people with disabilities to a single day on the calendar — and viewing so-called “disability issues” in a silo, separate and apart from the broader progressive agenda. To take a look at how far we’ve come in the 28 years since the ADA — and how far we still have to go — this week the Disability Justice Initiative is taking over Off-Kilter, with guest co-host Rebecca Cokley, who’s leading up the project for CAP, joining Rebecca Vallas for an all-disability episode featuring some of our favorite disability leaders — a takeover we look forward to bringing back on the regular in the weeks and months ahead. Tune in to hear from: Sen. Tammy Duckworth on being a disabled mom and a U.S. Senator; moving beyond the pity/charity model to understanding disability as a source of strength; what it’s like to commemorate the ADA anniversary while the ADA itself is under attack; and more. Matt Cortland, a chronically ill, disabled lawyer and activist (if you’re not following him on Twitter, you’re doing it wrong) on the importance of broadening the disability movement beyond traditional disability categories, to include chronic illnesses such as Crohn’s Disease; law school as a “survival strategy”; and the work of changing norms and spaces, instead of continuing to force people with disabilities to figure out how to “fit in.” Andraea Lavant, disability advocate and friend of the show, on the quiet ableism of straw bans and what straws mean to her; how having people with disabilities at the table helps us craft stronger, more inclusive policies; and what’s wrong with demanding that people with disabilities explain themselves and their accessibility needs on the internet and in real life.
Joyce welcomes three leaders within the disability rights movement to the show, Rhonda Neuhaus , policy analyst for government affairs at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Dara Baldwin, with the National Disability Rights Network, and Rebecca Cokley, executive director of the National Council on Disability. Each will discuss highlights of the progress that has been made in disability rights for 2014.
Joyce welcomes three leaders within the disability rights movement to the show, Rhonda Neuhaus , policy analyst for government affairs at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Dara Baldwin, with the National Disability Rights Network, and Rebecca Cokley, executive director of the National Council on Disability. Each will discuss highlights of the progress that has been made in disability rights for 2014.