1. What brings you to this work? What does participation at this table mean to you?
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health and healthcare in the United States. In partnership with others, we are working to develop a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have.
We cannot achieve a Culture of Health until everyone, including those living with disabilities, has a fair and just opportunity to achieve their best health. We have much more to do in this area at the Foundation, but we know that solutions begin with ensuring that the places where we live, learn, work and play do a better job of meeting the needs of people with disabilities. That
means working to advance laws, regulations, policies and practices, including those practices at the Foundation that address ableism, and expand disability rights, accessibility and inclusion. We believe philanthropy, in collaboration with movement leaders, can catalyze a cultural shift that goes beyond compliance and access, aiming squarely at true equity.
Participation at this table provides us with the opportunity to learn from others— those in the disability justice community as well as philanthropies that have been working towards disability inclusion longer than we have. We are passionate about listening to and engaging with those impacted by our work,and partnering with the disability community and other philanthropies to advance equity.
2. Share 1-3 key lessons learned related to disability and justice. How have you applied these lessons at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?
1. Philanthropy must look inward: Historically, philanthropy has not considered how our own practices are often part of the problem. Our involvement with the Presidents’ Council and Disability Inclusion Fund has been a small step in this direction towards making the Foundation look at the ways in which we could do better. As a signatory to the Disability Inclusion Pledge, we are committing to making changes in all areas of our work. We have made our physical space and meetings more accessible, improved the accessibility of our website and we are working towards a goal of being inclusive of people with disabilities in all grantmaking and human resources policies and practices. While I’m proud of the changes we’ve made, we have a long way to go. Another related lesson I’ve learned is that when we make mistakes, it’s important to acknowledge them, and be accountable for fixing them.
2. Center the voices of people with disabilities in our work: It is imperative that those of us in philanthropy listen to and engage with the people and communities who are most impacted by our work, so that they are not just influencing, but in many cases also leading the work. One way we’ve been exploring this idea is through participatory grantmaking. The Disability Inclusion Fund, guided by leaders from the disability community, is a great example of this, and it’s a model we are working to bring to more areas of our funding.
3. Disability justice is intersectional: A foundation doesn’t need to be a “disability foundation” in order to address disability justice, which is intersectional. As a Foundation increasingly focused on dismantling structural racism, we recognize that the barriers are magnified for people of color with disabilities. The disability community is an inherent part of issues the Foundation tackles in working toward a Culture of Health including housing, access to healthcare and data equity.
3. What are you looking forward to philanthropy accomplishing together?
Those of us working in philanthropy, including health philanthropy, can advance the imperative of disability inclusion by acknowledging that our role extends beyond just providing funding. We hold an important responsibility to advance our field to be more inclusive, accountable to the communities we serve, and to be part of the solution when it comes to building a future rooted in justice.
I am looking forward to the ways in which we can continue working and learning together to advance this “multiplier effect” within the field of philanthropy. The work of the Council, including the Disability Inclusion Pledge so many partners have signed onto, along with the Disability Inclusion Fund and Disability and Philanthropy Forum, all represent ways in which the work continues to grow and extend throughout the field.