Include Each Other

    At Include Each Other, we believe that all people have a right to equal treatment and employment opportunities. It is our mission to shine a light for equality for people of all abilities—through a rich and diverse program of books, documentaries, public readings, and movies.

   One of the central issues that our project addresses is the underrepresentation of people of differing abilities in the workplace. The statistics are staggering. “One in five Americans has a disability. More than 25% of people of differing abilities live in poverty and only about 20% have gone to college. Seventy–five percent are unemployed” (dredf.org). 

   People of differing abilities who are given the opportunities to work are very often not afforded the same treatment or benefits as other employees. Unfortunately, the current law allows employers to pay a subminimum wage, which can be as little as $1 per hour, or less, to workers of differing abilities. In the entertainment field, only 1% of the characters that appear on screen in movies and on television are of differing abilities.

   If we want to change these statistics, we must educate people about the value and worth of everyone. We need to create more opportunities for people of differing abilities, and to show them as the vital members of society and inspiring role models that they are. It is important for all people to see themselves represented on screen, in books, and in the workplace.