Accessibility and Ableism: How Ableism Shapes Systems and Thinking to Exclude Communities with Different Abilities
February 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM EST - February 17, 2026 | 11:15 AM EST
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Via Zoom | Link to join the webinar will be included in confirmation email.
Directions
Presented by Marie Gillum, MS, CDP, Director, DEI Transformation, Coordinated Care Services, Inc. (CCSI)
This training is designed to unpack the role ableism plays in shaping policies, practices, and environments (often invisibly) within the workplace and other community spaces. Participants will critically examine how ableist attitudes and systems exclude or marginalize people with disabilities and explore what it means to actively work toward accessibility, inclusion, and equity in both service delivery and workplace culture.
Grounded in historical context, we will explore how disability rights movements and evolving societal attitudes have shaped where we are today, and what still needs to change. Through interactive reflection and dialogue, participants will identify how implicit bias and systemic ableism influence everyday decisions, and how inclusive policies can move us toward truly accessible organizations.
This training challenges participants to reflect on their own role in either upholding or dismantling ableism and provides practical tools to create environments that respect and affirm the dignity and agency of all individuals.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Define ableism and recognize its systemic and interpersonal impacts in the workplace and in service delivery, including how it intersects with other forms of oppression.
- Identify common expressions of implicit and structural ableism in policies, procedures, environments, and attitudes—and understand how these create barriers for people with disabilities.
- Reflect on their own biases and assumptions related to disability, and explore how personal and organizational reflection can drive cultural change and accountability.
About the Presenter
Marie Gillum, MS, CDP, Director, DEI Transformation, Coordinated Care Services, Inc. (CCSI)
Marie Gillum is the Director of DEI Transformation at CCSI. Within this role she works alongside organizations as they actively aim to incorporate philosophies that highlight the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizational structures. Marie has experience facilitating DEI workshops, dialogues, and presentations within the local Rochester, NY community.
Marie has experience within the field of diversity recruitment and retention, as well as experience leading and facilitating programs that foster inclusion and belonging for employees of diverse backgrounds. In addition to Marie's work in the field of DEI, she also is fluent in American Sign Language and has a background in Nursing. Marie received her Masters Degree in Professional Studies, with concentrations in Human Resource Development and Diversity and Inclusion from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Tickets
$69.00 Member Registration Per Person
$139.00 Non-Member Registration Per Person
$275.00 Member Agency Registration for Upto 5 Staff
$0.00 Current ELDS Student
$0.00 Current MLLDS Student
