Disability impacts everyone. It overlaps and intersects with all social categorizations, including race, nationality, age, gender identity and expression, culture, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, and socio-economic level. This interconnectedness creates interdependent systems of oppression, prejudice, and disadvantage. Organizations that prioritize intersectionality enable employees to embrace, express, and celebrate all aspects of themselves – without fear of discrimination and retaliation in the workplace.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 61 million adults or 26% or one in four of the United States’ population, live with a disability (only counting those who self-identify). While numerous studies have proven the business benefits of disability inclusion, disability is often an afterthought in employer diversity and inclusion strategies. As disability inclusion is increasingly viewed publicly as a matter of social responsibility, it is still overlooked in strategic communications and social responsibility planning.
While many brands want to include disabled people and other diverse communities in their companies’ strategic initiatives, they often don’t know where to start. Eye Level can help your company show the world that you truly see the value of every human being and support your employees showing up as their full selves.
What We Do
Trainings and Workshops
The benefits of disability inclusion transcend public policy and awareness campaigns and stretch far beyond the notion of social responsibility. It can change how employers and employees perceive disability, make businesses more accessible for disabled people, and generate a wider talent pool. Eye Level offers a variety of interactive and thought-provoking workshops and training courses that enable today’s workforce to confidently participate in uncomfortable conversations about disability, access, inclusion, equity, leadership, and culture.
Strategic Planning
The structures and systems we live and work in reinforce ways to perpetuate inequity for specific categories of people. These were built purposefully and consciously to keep people considered “non-normative” out, and they are a feature of the social, economic, and political systems in which we all exist. First acknowledging and then addressing the inequities that inherently exist in these structures and systems is critical to achieving equity. Eye Level offers a variety of services and support for companies who want to address inequity in strategic business, communications, and administrative plans.
Giving Back
We believe in the power of vulnerability and connection through conversations, and we believe in the power of giving back to the communities we live, work, and play in. Our inclusive volunteering efforts are about making sure that everyone has an opportunity to give back, and feel the positive effects of social inclusion, community membership, and friendship. We know that an educated community can inspire and positively influence the lives of disabled people, and we believe it is our responsibility to connect otherwise disconnected communities.
Check out these testimonials!
Sarah Kirwan, MSPA
Eye Level Founder and CEO
Welcome, visionaries!
I’m Sarah, the founder and CEO of Eye Level Communications, LLC, a disability- and woman-owned small business, based in California. I’m also the creator, producer, and host of the Incluse This! Podcast, a movement for disability equity.
I am an instinctive activist and tireless advocate, driven by a deep desire for – and vision of – access, inclusion, belonging, and equity for everyone.
Sarah is a seasoned public administration professional with 25-years of experience in the nonprofit and government sectors, and she received her Master of Science in Public Administration from California State University Los Angeles. Prior-to founding Eye Level Communications, LLC (Eye Level), she served as the Director of Chapter Services and Healthcare Access for the Southern California and Nevada Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She also served as Assistant Hospital Administrator and Public Information Officer for Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a world-renowned physical rehabilitation hospital in Downey, California. Sarah was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2011, and Superior Semi-Circular Canal Dehiscence, a rare inner-ear disorder, in 2019. Her personal and professional experiences have made her a trusted professional, as well as a passionate disability rights champion. She is dedicated to creating a safe space for real, uncomfortable conversations that build and sustain more equitable workplaces. And she is committed to having conversations – at eye level – that connect people to each other, to their communities, and most importantly, to themselves.
Incluse This! Podcast
A MOVEMENT FOR DISABILITY EQUITY
Incluse This! is not just a podcast – it’s a movement. We want to change conversations, perceptions, and policies, but most importantly, we want to change mindsets and how we think about disability in America. It’s a space created for the critical and sometimes uncomfortable conversations we must have, to progress the movement for disability equity forward. We amplify disabled voices, tackle the intersectionality that naturally exists for people living with disabilities, connect everyone through shared experiences, and work alongside disability allies to unify the disability community.