Join me in supporting this group of various nonprofits that are developing education, animal rights, human rights, and environmental programs!

Helen Keller was an American humanitarian, author, and activist who is widely known for her wide array of accomplishments despite contracting an illness at 19 months old which ultimately left her both deaf and blind. Keller went on to pursue a successful career as a writer and lecturer as well as within the sociopolitical sphere, advocating for women's suffrage and world peace while campaigning on behalf of those living with disabilities. Keller worked for the American Foundation for the Blind and co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union, and her legacy lives on through the work of the organizations included in this Fund. In celebration of Keller's birthday on June 27th, Bright Funds created the Helen Keller Birthday Fund. This Fund is spotlighting organizations who are doing the critical work of advocating for people with disabilities through education, policy, research and direct services. The organizations in this Fund have a collective goal of ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the resources and supports they need in order to succeed within communities that are equitable and accessible for all.

The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act, signed into law on July 26, 1990, prohibits the discrimination of Americans with disabilities. The ADA ensures protections for people with disabilities, both physical and mental, in several spheres including employment, public transportation/public spaces, communications, and government-rendered services and programming, among others. The ADA's ultimate goal is to ensure that people with disabilities are afforded equal opportunities to participate in public life with necessary accommodations and without discrimination based on their disability. The following organizations are doing the critical work to ensure that the protections afforded by the ADA are upheld, and that those who have faced unlawful discrimination based on their disability have access to support and resources. Additionally, these organizations are advocating for additional protections for those with disabilities under the ADA as needed, increasing public visibility of those with disabilities, and promoting inclusive and accessible spaces. Your donation to this Fund, in honor of the ADA's signing anniversary, will help each of these organizations work towards their shared mission of creating equitable, accessible, and welcoming communities for all.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), recognized around the world on December 3rd of each year, promotes the mobilization of awareness and support surrounding the challenges and barriers people with disabilities face on a daily basis. IDPD aims to highlight the importance of visibility across all systems and communities in an effort to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities, with the ultimate goal of achieving an accessible and inclusive world for all.

Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) week! International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. IDPD, recognized around the world on December 3rd of each year, promotes the mobilization of awareness and support surrounding the challenges and barriers people with disabilities face on a daily basis. IDPD aims to highlight the importance of visibility across all systems and communities in an effort to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities, with the ultimate goal of achieving an accessible and inclusive world for all. Approximately 15 percent of the world’s population lives with some form of disability and evidence indicates that when people with disabilities are empowered to be part of life, society as a whole benefits. As a final wrap up of SolarWinds Austin's IDPD week, we are hosting a Brightfunds page where you are welcome to use some of your employee match to support these great causes. Thank you!