In 2023, the 61 million Americans with disabilities, including the 15 - 20% of the population who are neurodivergent, are still facing record unemployment. Within the disabilities community, another group still has not received adequate representation: individuals with chronic conditions (i.e. rare diseases).

By: Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communications Manager 2023 is here! As always, the start of a new year brings the opportunity to reflect on our growth and progress in improving employment inclusion for people with disabilities. Although there are areas where improvement is still needed, 2022 showed a number of positive and encouraging trends. According...

By: Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communications Manager More than half a century after his life was tragically cut short, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) remains one of the most revered and influential civil rights leaders of the 20th century. Through non-violent protest and organized campaigns of...

By Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communications Manager For most of the 20th century, Americans with disabilities were marginalized and denied fundamental inclusion and accessibility at school, work, and public transportation. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted with the promise of finally creating an inclusive, equitable society that would protect individuals with...

Written by Menachem Rephun, Creative Spirit Communications Manager Video by Alex Colby and Will Thomas, Bless You On Oct. 20, we held a special fundraiser and celebration at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, hosted by Advertising Week. This year’s event was unique in marking the 5th anniversary of Creative Spirit’s founding in 2017. The event...

In a world designed mainly for sighted people, being blind or vision-impaired can often be a challenge. This extends to finding fair-wage employment, which is difficult for many blind people due to ableism (discrimination against people with disabilities) in the hiring process, and companies that, even in 2022, often fail to provide reasonable accommodations. According...

By Menachem Raphun, Communications Manager, Creative Spirit According to the United States Census Bureau, roughly 11.5 million Americans (3.5% of the national population) live with some type of hearing impairment. The National Deaf Center places the number of Americans with hearing loss much higher at 28 million, with 1 million who are deaf and use...

Education is a Right, Not a Privilege Education is a fundamental right, not a privilege, and no one should be left behind, especially not the millions of young adults with disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Students with disabilities who have received equal opportunities and an inclusive, accommodated education will be better equipped for...

Tourism is one of the world’s most lucrative industries, comprising roughly 10% of the global GDP as of 2019 and generating upwards of $9 trillion that year, according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Unfortunately, the millions of people with disabilities in the U.S. and worldwide are still routinely excluded from travel for various...

By Menachem Rephun, Self-advocate + Creative Spirit Staff Phil Viardo and Christopher Knight’s documentary Truelove: The Film begins with a simple yet powerful statement: “I just go through life one day at a time. I don’t know what’s going to happen, we’re not promised tomorrow. I’m just thankful to be able to wake up and...