Race + Disability
Since 2021, FISA Foundation, The Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation have partnered to strengthen our work at the intersection of race and disability and to better address the needs of people of color with disabilities. The RACE + DISABILITY initiative aims to engage our partners and grantees in southwestern Pennsylvania on disability justice and racial justice issues.
Through webinars, focused cohort programs, and in-person convenings, the RACE + DISABILITY initiative partners with disability advocates to build knowledge and awareness of how the issues most pressing to our communities intersect across race, disability, and other facets of identity.
Webinars
The RACE + DISABILITY initiative hosts free webinars year-round to educate the public about the ways in which ableism and racism intersect across various social issues.
Topics have ranged from authentic disability representation to voting rights to reproductive justice. The webinars aim to equip nonprofit leaders with information to help them see how disability justice and racial justice are intertwined, taking this information into their organization’s practices and services.
From presentations to moderated panel conversations, these free webinars offer a forum to learn in community to continue advancing intersectional equity and justice.
In-Person Convenings
After a couple of years of online learning from webinars, the RACE + DISABILITY initiative launched in-person convenings for nonprofit leaders in southwestern Pennsylvania to discuss their progress in advancing disability inclusion and racial justice.
These convenings provide a space to celebrate successes in implementing more equitable and accessible services and policies, while providing opportunities to have open dialogue around challenges in the work.
Focused Cohort Programs
In 2024, the RACE + DISABILITY initiative launched two tailored cohort programs, focused on equipping nonprofit leaders with tools to implement intersectional disability inclusion within their work.
The Unlocking Democracy: Strategies for Inclusive Civic Engagement virtual program is specifically designed for leaders across Pennsylvania who are dedicated to enhancing civic engagement as the 2024 elections approach.
The Beyond Diversity Leadership Cohort is an in-person program crafted for nonprofit leaders dedicated to advancing racial and disability equity within the workplace, empowering them to drive meaningful policy and culture change within their organization.
