Understanding and Creating Equity Around Disability
For more than 100 years, Easterseals has worked tirelessly with our partners to enhance quality of life and expand local access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.
Easterseals Southern California (ESSC), is the largest provider in California of services for people with disabilities and the largest in the nation. Our diversity and inclusive culture are the strengths of ESSC. Easterseals promotes equity, respect, and belonging through advocacy and action. ESSC promotes inclusion and participation in the community through programs and services that are tailored to individual needs. Starting in the early years, ESSC offers services such as autism services, independent living services for adults, senior services and employment programs, and veterans' services. Easterseals' advocacy, policy and public education initiatives positively influence perceptions and address the changing needs of one-fourth of Americans with disabilities. The ESSC's Vision and Impact Plan - which addresses all aspects of disability, including race, gender and sexual orientation as well as age and religion - outlines how the organization will support people with disabilities in the future. Southern California should be the most inclusive area for people with disabilities to live and learn, work, and play by 2030. ESSC also created a community and workplace where everyone is welcome. RISE (Respect. Inclusion. Self-awareness. Equity) is a program that aims to create a diverse workplace. This program offers staff training opportunities that support inclusion in the workplace and affect participants who use ESSC's services. Among them were 'Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity' and ’Awareness and Disability Training'. The staff also took part in listening circles, learning from and sharing their diverse experiences as professionals and individuals. RISE supports the organization's talent recruiting efforts by providing targeted outreach to recruit staff that are representative of the communities it serves. IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access), ensures that ESSC's services are accessible to all the diverse communities it serves and promotes health equity in our communities. ESSC supports people with disabilities to be fully included and thrive. ESSC continues to support participants, staff and their families in creating a more inclusive community.