People with disabilities are disproportionately older, more rural, and more socio-economically disadvantaged. According to a 2022 report, there are 393,816 disabled Iowans, 46.7% of whom receive food stamps and 30.4% of whom are 65 and older. In 2019, 218,839 Nebraskans self-identified as disabled, 79.8% of whom were 65 and older at the time of the study. The COVID-19 pandemic, considered by experts to be the largest ‘mass-disabiling’ event in human history, continues to contribute to the size of the disabled population. Training focused on access for and inclusion of people with disabilities is invaluable to the success of Nonprofit Association of the Midlands’ membership, many of whose mission is direct support of these at-risk intersections. People with disabilities are volunteers, donors, consumers, and service recipients. Building capacity of midland nonprofits so that they can best serve people with disabilities isn’t just a matter of equity, it’s competitive advantage. Through the Disability 101 workshop, leaders will learn best practice in the language of disability, disability etiquette, and accessible event design.
