By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Self Advocate Black and Disabled in America: Challenges Facing The Black Community with Disabilities, And How To Solve Them Living with a disability in the United States presents its fair share of challenges, from overt discrimination in employment to lack of physical accessibility. Unfortunately, being both disabled and a...

By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Self Advocate Improved access to vital services; protection against unlawful workplace discrimination; a more inclusive, accessible society; all of these and more have been the focus of the ongoing disability rights movement. These promises are notably reflected in the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), one of the most important,...

By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Self Advocate Video By @Nathaniel_Edward on TikTok The Solution: Sandy Parrino, former Chairwoman of the National Council on Disability and signatory for the ADA, put it best when she asked this generation of disability advocates: “what happened to all the activists?” As a nonprofit advocating for people with disabilities...

By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Self Advocate It’s been two years since the Covid-19 pandemic turned the world on its ear. During that time, loneliness and isolation have spiked dramatically, especially for people with disabilities, many of whom continue to struggle with lost or restricted access to vital supports, programs, and services. The fact...

By Laurel Rossi, Co- Founder Creative Spirit I’m always captivated by the optimism of a new year—even in the midst of a global pandemic. I’ve been guilty of declaring that “this is the year I…” many times in the past, but this year is different. In 2022, I’m determined on turning resolutions to raise awareness...

By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Self Advocate Artwork by Creative Spirit Alumni – Lauren Valinotti Overview Almost 32 years have passed since the Americans with Disabilities Act revolutionized inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities. Since that time, there has been a conspicuous shortage of follow-up legislation building on the foundation laid by the...

By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Self Advocate Earth Day 2022 – Invest in Our Planet… Climate change affects all of us, but people with disabilities are even more powerfully impacted. In our original article, we explore how individuals, organizations, and business leaders can make a difference in including people with disabilities in the climate...

Learn what inspired our candidate’s artwork for the promotion of this event. Sign up for the event here: https://shop.oldyorkcellars.com/product/CreativeSpirit-Virtual-Wine-Tasting-Experience. By Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager and Self Advocate Artist Profiles: Lauren Valinotti – Creative Spirit Candidate & Artist “For the inspiration, I saw that the company wanted something celebratory and somewhere along the way, I got...

By Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communications Manager and Self Advocate In honor of National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM), Creative Spirit is raising awareness of the issues surrounding allyship and supporting those who care for friends, family members, neighbors, and loved ones with disabilities. The campaign is run by Caregiver Action Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated...

By Laurel Rossi – Co-Founder Creative Spirit Overview Generally, the passage of time brings wisdom, clarity, and expertise. However, since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 (a process started in 1984), there has not been a significant increase of wisdom and more importantly, promise made by the ADA. I say...