Disability advocacy organization RespectAbility launches the Inclusion Advocacy Training Series, a disability inclusion advocacy training program in New York City for women and girls with disabilities.

The monthly, six-part series begins on January 26 and continues through May.

The first training session, titled, “Training on Intersectionality among Women and Girls with Disabilities,” showcases author and inclusion expert Donna Walton, EdD, who will address critical issues impacting women and girls with disabilities in New York City

“I am more than just one leg. I am a woman. And I am a woman with a disability. Standing forthright in power unapologetically. So, when I show up, I show up authentically. In that space, consistently,” Walton says, in a media release from RespectAbility.

Reportedly 44% of New York women with disabilities live below the poverty line, only 29% of African American women with disabilities are employed, and only 24% of Latina women with disabilities have jobs, per the release

“To change these outcomes,” Walton adds, “New York women and girls with disabilities need new opportunities to make their voices heard, impact their communities and change the city for the better.”

The other trainings in the series are designed for self-advocates and their allies, nonprofit professionals and community leaders. Topics will include disability disclosure, self-advocacy tools and opportunities for civic engagement, as well as professional advice for making organizations and events accessible.

“We are passionate about bringing intersectionality into our work, and into the nonprofit sector at-large,” states RespectAbility President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, in the release. “That is why we are recruiting and training individuals with disabilities to share their knowledge, skills and contacts with funders, providers and organizations throughout New York City.”

For more information about the training series and to apply to participate, visit RespectAbility.

[Source(s): RespectAbility, PR Newswire]