About
Disability Belongs (formerly RespectAbility) is a disability-led nonprofit that works to change culture and policy so that people with disabilities are fully represented and included in society. Established in 2013 in Rockville, Maryland, the organization adopted the name Disability Belongs in 2024 following a rebranding process, and has operated as a fully remote organization with employees across the United States since 2020. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 46-2840232), and donations to it are tax deductible.
Mission
Disability Belongs drives cultural and policy change to ensure the full representation and influence of people with disabilities, creating a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive society.
What they do
The organization's work is organized around three main pillars:
- Advocacy — pursuing policy integration and cultural change, including improving how disability is represented in media.
- Leadership development — including a Leadership Program launched in 2016 that develops disabled leaders, and an Entertainment Lab established in 2019 that supports disabled professionals in the entertainment industry.
- Partnerships — training and consulting for corporate, nonprofit, and public-sector organizations, including trainings, access reviews, and consultancy services to help organizations become more inclusive of people with disabilities.
History
The organization was established in 2013 in Rockville, Maryland, under the name RespectAbility. It launched its Leadership Program in 2016 and its Entertainment Lab in 2019, moved to a fully remote model in 2020, and adopted the name Disability Belongs in 2024 after what it describes as a thoughtful rebranding process.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, which draws on IRS Form 990 filings, the organization reported total revenue of $3,309,494 and total expenses of $3,450,607 for fiscal year 2023, with $4,322,835 in total assets at year end. In fiscal year 2022 it reported revenue of $2,387,003, and in fiscal year 2021 revenue of $3,667,866. The IRS issued its tax exemption in September 2014, and ProPublica categorizes it under Human Services — Multipurpose and Other / Personal Social Services.