Woman with glasses and long brown wavy hair is sitting in a motorized shopping cart shopping past the bakery section of a grocery store.

The Intersection of Food Justice and Disability Justice

Kelly’s Kitchen partnered with the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) to provide a four-course series on the intersection of food justice and disability justice. 

Oftentimes, populations who need support, resources, and access to food security resources the most are the ones who already face inequities and barriers.

Why Four Courses?

Just like a four-course dinner, content started light and easy and became more detailed and application-based as the sessions progressed.

Each course focused on a different topic that built on top of one another to create a better understanding of the issue of food insecurity within the disability population and resources on how to make steps to increase access in your community.

Click here to access our Food Justice and Disability Justice YouTube Playlist

Click here to download a PDF document with all Speaker Bios for this Four-Course Webinar Series

Purple background. Illustration outline of a hand holding a platter. The platter says "Food Justice 101". Text above says A Four-Course Series on the Intersection of Food Justice and Disability Justice. Kelly's Kitchen and APRIL logos on bottom left.

Course 1: Food Justice 101

Kelly’s Kitchen eased into the topic of food justice and disability justice. During this first session we framed the need for this intersecting conversation, discussed key terms that are often used when discussing food equity and food justice, and helped set the precedent for future courses. This means creating a plan for turning information into impactful and sustainable action.

Course 2: Best Practices in Nutrition and Disability

Course 2 discussed best practices when it comes to nutrition and disability. March is National Nutrition Month, which was the perfect time to talk about nutrition and how to ensure that individuals, especially people with disabilities, are getting essential information they need. This session focused on best practices regarding the Food Pyramid vs. MyPlate Healthy Eating Chart and discussed barriers with using outdated resources to define and identify nutrition. This session also set the stage for Course 3 by introducing concepts related to access to fresh foods, accessible kitchens and the impact of access and inclusion for someone with a disability.

Purple background with illustration outline of a hand holding a platter. The platter says "Barriers when it Comes to Food Equity". Text above says A Four-Course Series on the Intersection of Food Justice and Disability Justice.

Course 4: Pulling It All Together - Making A Difference in Your Community

The fourth and final course was a call to action on how to utilize the information provided over the past four months and use it to “do better” and create more inclusive programming. This session included an overview of current and upcoming Kelly’s Kitchen programming such as the Food Security Network, Food Ambassador Program, Nourishment Beyond the Plate, and collaborative virtual cooking class series with The Color Coded Chef. A guest speaker with Harness spoke about fundraising strategies to have unrestricted funds for food justice programming.

Purple background with outline illustration in black of a hand holding a platter. The platter says "Best Practices When it Comes to Nutrition and Disability". Text above says "A Four-Course Series on the Intersection on Food Justice & Disab Justice".

Course 3: Barriers when it Comes to Food Equity

Course 3 addressed barriers for people with disabilities when it comes to food equity, food access, and medically appropriate and equitable advice. We addressed stigma from the medical community provided to people with disabilities that can be dangerous and lead to body dysmorphia or disordered eating. This involved a deep dive into BMI and meal plans, and how they are often rooted in ableism and racism. Two individuals with disabilities and a history of disordered eating shared their experiences. Yvonne Boltz and staff member Abby Marsh with Boltz to Nutz Farm in Loveland, Ohio discussed the importance of accessible kitchens and provided examples of accessible cooking and farming tools.

Purple background with illustration outline of a hand holding a platter. The platter says "Pulling it all together - making a difference in your community". Text above says A Four-Course Series on the Intersection of Food Justice & Disab. Justice.i

“Great presentations, with a lot of information. Appreciate all the speakers and other participants knowledge and personal experience.”

— Webinar Series Participant