5 Nonprofits Creating Change - March Edition

accessiBe News

Our Top 5 NPOs for March will blow you away with the missions, values, and activities they utilize to shape the world. Read about how these amazing organizations are driving inclusivity and awareness for the disability communities.

accessiBe Team

accessiBe’s Nonprofit Partnership Program collaborates with hundreds of disability-focused organizations to spread awareness and knowledge regarding people with disabilities and their community. For March, we're honored to highlight these 5 organizations that are making a real change:

Introducing: Defeating Epilepsy 

Mission: The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation believes that all individuals with epilepsy have the right to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Their organization advocates the resources needed to achieve those goals at a global level and upholds its values by offering educational resources while networking and performing community services. 

Partnership Takeaways: Our partnership with Defeating Epilepsy has taught us new information regarding the disability; there are 40 different kinds of epilepsy, some of which have multiple disabilities or traits. Another important takeaway and a crucial piece of knowledge learned is that some seizures take place in the brain without a visual cue and other functions get disturbed without anyone else knowing, including the patient themselves. It’s imperative that we all understand the intricate details of epilepsy characteristics so that we can build a better world created to include them in all aspects of life.

Visit their site to learn more about Defeating Epilepsy’s amazing work >>

Introducing: The Thompson Foundation

Mission: The Thompson Foundation for Autism and Neurodevelopment strengthens children and families living with autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities by raising awareness, advancing public policy, and funding the needs of the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental at the University of Missouri. Through diverse and evidence-based research, family-centered care, and other impactful initiatives, the organization makes a difference in the lives of people affected by autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities. 

Partnership Takeaways: Each year, at the Thompson Center for Autism Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, a special 1-day event for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of individuals with autism kicks off, and is followed by a free Ask the Experts panel, hosted by the Thompson Foundation for Autism & Neurodevelopment. The awareness and education that the organization propels forward regarding Autism are crucial to the inclusivity and public understanding of the disability, and the Thompson Center is enlightening the world on the topic. 

Visit their site to learn more about The Thompson Foundation's amazing work >> 

Introducing: Breathworks

Mission: Breathworks is an organization that teaches mindfulness and compassion-based approaches to managing pain, illness, and stress. Since 2001, the global team at Breathworks has reached over 100,000 people with their evidence-based programs and successfully trained over 600 mindfulness teachers that operate internationally. 

Partnership Takeaways: A key takeaway from our partnership with Breathworks informed us of a unique technique developed by Vidyamala, which helps people use mindfulness to help deal with chronic pain. Remembering that there are alternative remedies and management programs for disabilities of all kinds allows us to understand the different needs or varied, suited treatments for people of all abilities.

Visit their site to learn more about Breathwork's amazing work >>

Introducing: Accessible Festivals 

Mission: Accessible Festivals works to ensure that live music and recreational events are fully accessible for people of all abilities. On a mission since 2014 to foster connection and inspire inclusive communities based on sharing the magic of music, the organization collaborates with various like-minded organizations, individuals, and communities to establish a bedrock of accessibility for any live music or recreational event.

Partnership Takeaways: We learned that Accessible Festivals go the extra mile via a ticket giveaway program where the organization grants tickets to festivals across the United States to people with disabilities. Accessibility initiatives such as these allow anyone within the disability communities the fair and equal opportunity to attend a music event of their choice, increasing their quality of life simultaneously. 

Visit their site to learn more about Accessible Festival's amazing work >>

Introducing: Virtual Reality Therapies

Mission: Virtual Reality Therapies offers a unique method of immersive and full sensory experiences, designed not to just benefit all people, but those who are least likely to access it. The organization is the first to offer VR therapies for children and adults with disabilities; therapies assist in medical treatments such as chemotherapy or physiotherapy and are utilized to improve social and behavioral difficulties in those living with autism. 

Partnership Takeaways: Through our partnership with Virtual Reality Therapies, we were able to gain new insight into the impact that virtual reality has on those living with PTSD and other invisible disabilities. Virtual reality is, in fact, not just a recreational tool that can be used by someone with disabilities, but provides a sense of escape and enjoyment for those who wish to bring fun interactivity to life in between challenging everyday situations. 

Visit their site to learn more about Virtual Reality Therapies’ amazing work>>

While each of our partners' missions and communities is different, they all are working towards a common goal of inclusivity and accessibility. We believe that by working together, we can make the world a more accessible place! 

Join accessiBe’s Nonprofit Partnership Program to join the community and start your accessibility journey with us today!