Think Ability Wisconsin

February 27 noon - 1pm Webinar registration: https://lnkd.in/g8SMA49X The Disability Index? benchmark opens today (February 3 through April 11, 2025. Join Disability:IN Wisconsin webinar '2025 Disability Index? and its Business Impact' and hear from business leaders who have experience completing the benchmark and the work that has impacted their business.

In case you missed it: Race Eberhardt is making history as the first actor with Down syndrome to star in an action movie! The Today Show featured a fantastic segment covering Eberhardt and the director of "Strait Undercover", Ben Gonyo. Gonyo highlights that he wrote this movie with Eberhardt in mind to play the main character with the goal to "create a character around the real-life Race". To learn more about Eberhardt, Gonyo, and this groundbreaking film, check out the full article at https://lnkd.in/gjfXK4PC.

Language is powerful, and the words we choose can create, reinforce, or shift our reality. It is without a doubt that individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities enrich our lives in work, school, sports, and more. However, we’ve heard from countless families who fear the uncertainty that we are living in. Please know that we will continue working with you to ensure our community is respected, valued, and included. We see you. We hear you. We are you. We won’t stop fighting for you.

Accommodating disabled people isn’t rocket science—it’s empathy and action, plain and simple. The truth is, most of the barriers we face aren’t about complexity. They’re about a lack of will. It’s not that ramps are impossible to build or captions too expensive to add—it’s that those in power choose not to prioritize them. Think about it: a world with seamless accessibility is entirely possible. We already have the technology, the tools, and the know-how. But somehow, the people in charge act like it’s a monumental task. They reframe it as “too costly” or “too complicated” when, in reality, they’re just unwilling to shift the status quo. This reluctance reveals something uncomfortable: society’s priorities. If a lack of accessibility isn’t addressed, it’s not because the solutions don’t exist—it’s because our inclusion isn’t valued enough to make it happen. Disabled people are forced to ask for basic dignity, again and again, in a system that paints us as “too much effort.” The irony? Accessibility doesn’t just benefit disabled people. It helps parents pushing strollers, delivery workers with heavy carts, seniors with mobility issues, and even businesses by expanding their customer base. The “effort” society resists so fiercely would actually create a world that works better for everyone. So, why are we still being made to feel like burdens for asking to be included? Why does the simple act of making spaces accessible require endless advocacy, fighting against excuses and apathy? Here’s my question to you: Do you think the resistance to accessibility is rooted in ignorance, bias, or outright indifference? What would it take to shift that mindset? Let’s discuss. #WeAreBillionStrong #Accessibility #AXSChat #Disability #BillionStrong #SDGs ID: A quote with Debra's name and Image: "Accessibility isn’t impossible—it’s just not prioritized. The tools exist, the solutions are known, but the will to act? That’s what’s missing. It’s not about cost or complexity; it’s about whether inclusion matters enough. So, why doesn’t it?