ESTEEMED DISABILITY AND DIVERSITY LEADERS GATHER SEPTEMBER 29th IN DC FOR ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS AT HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ANNUAL FORUM HOSTED BY NOD

Sep 7, 2022

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Roundtables will Feature Judy Heumann, Lifelong Disability Rights Leader and Principal of the Documentary CRIP CAMP on Netflix, and Executives from The White House, the National Urban League and U.S. Department of Labor

NEW YORK, NY (September 7, 2022) – For 40 years, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) has worked alongside some of the most highly respected leaders and companies to advance disability employment rights in this country. At the epicenter of its 40th Anniversary celebration, NOD curated two dynamic roundtables with disability and diversity leaders at its Annual Forum, NOD at 40: Honoring the Past; Innovating the Future in our nation’s Capital on September 29, 2022, from 3:30 – 6:00 pm followed by a Roof Terrace awards reception.

NOD will host two dynamic roundtables during the Forum: 1) Honoring the Disability Rights Movement Over the Last 40 Years, and 2) Focusing on the Future with Innovators in the ADA Generation. The first roundtable will delve into the trajectory of the disability rights movement and its parallels with other social justice movements, and will be moderated by I. King Jordan, President Emeritus of Gallaudet University.

The roundtable will feature:

  • Judy Heumann, Disability Rights Leader and Principal of the Oscar-Nominated/Higher Ground Netflix documentary CRIP CAMP, whose biopic is in development at Apple TV;
  • Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League and former Mayor of New Orleans;
  • Taryn Mackenzie Williams, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
  • Day-Al Mohamed, Disability Policy Director, White House Domestic Policy Council.

The second roundtable, moderated by Charles-Edouard Catherine, Director of Corporate & Government Relations, National Organization on Disability, will build on the legacy of ADA and other landmark civil rights legislation, focusing on four pillars of progress – digital accessibility, authentic media images, owning the disability narrative and the next generation of disability rights leaders.

The roundtable will feature:

  • Xian Horn, Founder of Give Beauty Wings and Changeblazer, and ForbesWomen Contributor;
  • Andrea Jennings, Founder of Shifting Creative Paradigms and a Co-Founder of Recording Artists and Musicians with Disabilities (RAMPD);
  • Jessica Riestra, Youth Organizer, California Foundation on Independent Living Centers and YO! Disabled & Proud;
  • Ayelet Winer, Sr. accessibility manager, Head of T-Mobile’s Accessibility Resource Center; and
  • Petr Kucheryavyy, Senior Accessibility Manager, Charter Communications, also known through its Spectrum brand.

“NOD is grateful and proud that these distinguished and talented executives and professionals are lending their expertise, prestige and perspective, in addition to their personal stories at our Annual Forum,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act and NOD’s 40th anniversary. In the spirit of these two milestones, I am looking forward to the powerful discussions that will honor the past 40 years of disability rights and focus on the future as we harness and galvanize the power, creativity, and innovation of disability-inclusive diversity in the workplace, marketplace, and communities across America.”

Disability Rights Leader Judy Heumann says, “It has been my privilege to get to know Governor Ridge and Carol Glazer, and the work that they have done with NOD over many years. Their leadership has played a major role in bringing such issues as the fight to ensure no one is earning below minimum wage. The organization NOD is about dignity, rights, and justice.”

The National Organization on Disability’s Annual Forum will convene at the beautiful venue – 101 Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. on Thursday, September 29, 2022. The Annual Forum has become the must-attend event with the disability community, and corporate leaders, to analyze past and project future trends. For more information about the NOD at 40 Annual Forum, click here. Sponsorships for NOD at 40 are still available. For more information, contact Priyanka Ghosh at ghoshp@nod.org.