Disability Belongs
Disability Belongs is a US-based, disability-led nonprofit that provides training, access reviews, and entertainment media consulting to employers, studios, and policymakers while operating fellowship programs and advocacy campaigns to advance disability inclusion.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersFredericksburg, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Disability Belongs does
Disability Belongs™ is a US-based, disability-led nonprofit organization headquartered in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with an operating footprint covering the United States and Canada. Founded in 2019 (previously operating as RespectAbility before rebranding in 2024), the organization employs approximately 89 staff and operates across three program tracks: policy and civic engagement advocacy, leadership development fellowships (Leadership Program and Entertainment Lab), and paid training, access review, and consultancy services. It serves four primary customer segments - employers and businesses, the entertainment industry, policymakers and government, and disabled leaders and advocates - with secondary work in nonprofits, cultural change organizations, and funders and philanthropists.
The organization's core offerings include training services on disability inclusion, access reviews of organizational policies and environments, strategic consultancy for employers and cultural change leaders, an Entertainment Lab fellowship that places disabled creatives across film, television, and streaming, a Leadership Program fellowship for disabled and disability-inclusive professionals, free digital resources covering digital accessibility, inclusive event planning, and reasonable accommodations, an online Action Center for policy advocacy, and the annual Disability Impact Awards. Its entertainment media consulting arm has advised on more than 300 TV episodes and films for major partners including Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony, DreamWorks, A&E, CAA, and Bunim-Murray Productions. The underlying technology is a content, community, and services platform rather than a software product; there is no proprietary technology stack, API, or AI capability disclosed.
The revenue model blends donations and fundraising (channeled through the website and give.disabilitybelongs.org portal), paid training and consultancy engagements with employers, organizations, and entertainment studios, and entertainment media consulting fees for script reviews, casting advisement, rough cut reviews, and set accessibility site visits. Public-facing resources, webinars, and training content are offered free of charge, with donations encouraged. Go-to-market combines community-led advocacy engagement, event-driven touchpoints (annual awards, Sundance, SXSW), enterprise field sales for entertainment partnerships (managed by Senior Manager Vanni Le), and sales-led training and consultancy conversion. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and Advisory Council, is led by President and CEO Ariel Simms, and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investors.
Disability Belongs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Disability Belongs
- Legal name
- Disability Belongs™
- Website
- https://disabilitybelongs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Disability Belongs is a US-based, disability-led nonprofit that provides training, access reviews, and entertainment media consulting to employers, studios, and policymakers while operating fellowship programs and advocacy campaigns to advance disability inclusion.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Disability Belongs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Inclusion Consulting
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)
Keywords
Where Disability Belongs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fredericksburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Disability Belongs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through its website and gives.disabilitybelongs.org portal. Donations support the nonprofit's mission of driving cultural and policy change for disability inclusion.
- Training and Consulting Services: Provides paid training, accessibility reviews, and consulting engagements to employers, organizations, and entertainment studios seeking disability inclusion expertise.
- Entertainment Media Consulting: Offers consulting services to studios, production companies, and filmmakers for authentic disability representation in film and television productions, including script reviews, casting advisement, and accessibility guidance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free resources and training available to the public |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Disability Belongs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Disability Belongs is a disability-led nonprofit that sells and delivers training, access reviews, consultancy, and entertainment media consulting services to employers, studios, policymakers, and cultural organizations seeking to advance disability inclusion. It also runs the Leadership Program and Entertainment Lab fellowship pipelines and operates the annual Disability Impact Awards, a free Resources Hub, and the Action Center advocacy platform. Revenue is generated through paid service engagements, donations, grants, and sponsorships.
Product overview
Disability Belongs™ is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit organization that offers a comprehensive suite of programs and services focused on disability advocacy, inclusion, and cultural change. The organization's offerings include Training Services, Access Reviews, and Consultancy for organizations seeking to improve disability inclusion practices; the Leadership Program Fellowship and Entertainment Lab Fellowship for developing disabled leaders; Entertainment Media Consulting for authentic disability representation in media; a Resources Hub with free accessibility materials; an Action Center for policy advocacy; and the annual Disability Impact Awards. The organization functions as a platform connecting disability expertise with employers, policymakers, entertainment industry partners, and the broader community to advance systemic change.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Entertainment Lab: Award-winning program connecting disabled writers, directors, producers, and creatives with leaders across film, television, and streaming. Now in its eighth year.
- Leadership Program
- Disability Impact Awards
- Action Center
Products and services
- Training Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Consulted on more than 300 TV episodes and films for entertainment industry partners
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Disability Belongs
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Disability Belongs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Disability Belongs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- A&EcoreEntertainment media consulting partnership for authentic disability representation in A&E productions.
- Bunim-Murray ProductionscoreConsulting services for authentic disability representation in Bunim-Murray Productions content.
- CAAcorePartnership with CAA for disability inclusion and authentic representation guidance in entertainment projects.
- DreamWorkscoreConsulting partnership for authentic disability representation in DreamWorks Animation and feature films.
- NBCUniversalcoreEntertainment media consulting for authentic disability representation across NBCUniversal content.
- NetflixcorePartnership with Netflix for disability inclusion consulting including work on Color Book and other productions.
- ParamountcoreConsulting services for authentic disability representation in Paramount productions.
- Sony Pictures EntertainmentcorePartnership with Sony for disability inclusion guidance and authentic representation in film and television.
- The Walt Disney CompanycoreEntertainment media consulting for authentic disability representation in Disney content.
- Warner Bros DiscoverycoreConsulting partnership with Warner Bros Discovery for disability inclusion across their content portfolio.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Disability Belongs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Disability Belongs social profiles
Digital presenceDisability Belongs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Disability Belongs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Disability Belongs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Disability Belongs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Disability Belongs
What does Disability Belongs do?
Disability Belongs is a disability-led nonprofit that sells and delivers training, access reviews, consultancy, and entertainment media consulting services to employers, studios, policymakers, and cultural organizations seeking to advance disability inclusion. It also runs the Leadership Program and Entertainment Lab fellowship pipelines and operates the annual Disability Impact Awards, a free Resources Hub, and the Action Center advocacy platform. Revenue is generated through paid service engagements, donations, grants, and sponsorships.
Is Disability Belongs a public or private company?
Disability Belongs is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Disability Belongs founded?
Disability Belongs was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Disability Belongs based?
Disability Belongs is headquartered in Fredericksburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Disability Belongs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are training and Consulting Services and entertainment Media Consulting.
Does Disability Belongs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Disability Belongs.
What industry is Disability Belongs in?
Disability Belongs's product category is Disability Inclusion Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAM, Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech), with a secondary code of BPAGACAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support. Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8300.