{"id":487,"date":"2026-08-08T16:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev-axe-con.pantheonsite.io\/sessions\/closing-keynote-jim-lebrecht\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:28:13","slug":"closing-keynote-jim-lebrecht","status":"publish","type":"axecon-session","link":"https:\/\/www.deque.com\/axe-con\/sessions\/closing-keynote-jim-lebrecht\/","title":{"rendered":"Making change happen: How the power of storytelling can drive accessibility forward"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation with Jim LeBrecht, co-director of the groundbreaking documentary <i>Crip Camp<\/i>, and Patrick Sturdivant, Vice President and Principal Strategy Consultant at Deque. This session explores the transformative power of storytelling in the fight for disability rights and inclusion.<\/p>\n<p>In celebration of Crip Camp\u00e2\u0080\u0099s 5th anniversary, Jim will share the backstory behind <i>Crip Camp<\/i>\u00e2\u0080\u0094from its inception to securing Barack and Michelle Obama as co-producers to the film\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Academy Award nomination\u00e2\u0080\u0094and discuss the film&#8217;s impact.<\/p>\n<p>Jim and Patrick will also discuss pivotal moments in their lives that shaped their commitment to accessibility and disability advocacy. Topics include the significance of legislation, representation of disability in technology and culture, and their actionable insights on how to advocate for accessibility. Jim will also reflect on the evolution of disability representation in the film industry since <i>Crip Camp<\/i>&#8216;s release and share his vision for the future.<\/p>\n<p>Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on how storytelling can shape accessibility advocacy and drive progress.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re an advocate, ally, or accessibility professional, this session offers practical advice and a redoubled sense of purpose in the quest for equity and inclusion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","track":[23],"difficulty":[],"playlist":[18],"class_list":["post-487","axecon-session","type-axecon-session","status-publish","hentry","track-keynote","playlist-change-advocacy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Making change happen: How the power of storytelling can drive accessibility forward - Axe-con<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.deque.com\/axe-con\/sessions\/closing-keynote-jim-lebrecht\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Making change happen: How the power of storytelling can drive accessibility forward - Axe-con\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation with Jim LeBrecht, co-director of the groundbreaking documentary Crip Camp, and Patrick Sturdivant, Vice President and Principal Strategy Consultant at Deque. 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