Written By: Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager, Creative Spirit Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a cluster of conditions affecting social interaction and verbal and nonverbal communication, affects over 75,000,000 million people worldwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). While progress has been made over the past several years in improving inclusion and representation,...

Written By: Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager, Creative Spirit The Independent Living Movement: How It Has Changed Lives for People With Disabilities The freedom, self-esteem, and dignity that come with independent living are aspects of life many take for granted. For millions of Americans with disabilities, however, they have often been a dream and an aspiration...

Written By: Olivia Nero, Neurodiversity Ally and Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager, Creative Spirit Neurodiversity and Mobility is wonderful for a neurodivergent brain. It can be very therapeutic for just about anyone. Not only that, it is also super healthy to stay active. Being active is good for both mental and physical health.  An example of...

Written By: Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager, Creative Spirit, and Joanna McElnea, Self Advocate and Community Manager Image description: A neurodiverse woman in a black and white dress and jacket stands in front of the US Capital Building in Washington D.C. USA with a blue and green sign that reads “normalize neurodiversity in the workplace.” Taken...

Written By: Olivia Nero, Neurodiversity Ally and Creative Spirit Intern 2023, and Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager, Creative Spirit Gen Z could easily be described as the most diverse generation. Instead of letting that diversity divide them, however, Gen Z is embracing it and turning it into a strength. This younger generation is more open about...

Written By: Olivia Nero, Neurodiversity Ally and Creative Spirit Intern 2023, and Menachem Rephun, Communications Manager, Creative Spirit The title “Neurodiversity in Literature” is written in blue in an open purple book surrounded by a white background with the Creative Spirit logo in the bottom right corner. Neurodivergence is a topic that was once avoided...

Written By: Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communication Manager Since the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, Disability Pride Month has been held annually in July to commemorate this extremely important legislation. At the same time, the scope and focus of disability pride month goes beyond merely celebrating the ADA. As the...

Written By: Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communication Manager In the history of the disability rights movement, few individuals are more renowned and celebrated than Helen Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968), and for good reason. A lecturer, political activist, and author of more than 14 books and hundreds of essays and speeches, Keller...

Written By: Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communication Manager We are heartbroken to share with our Creative Spirit community that our beloved vice chair and friend Karen Eisenbach has passed away. A board member since Creative Spirit’s founding in 2017, Karen was a passionate, dedicated champion of inclusion and representation for all people with disabilities. She...

Written By: Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communication Manager Roughly 6% of the U.S. population will experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Developing as a result of war-related combat stress, physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, or other traumatic experiences, PTSD is...