Workshops

Jessica Podesva is NCIL’s Director of Advocacy and Public Policy. Prior to this role, Jessica worked at the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) as a Senior Community Organizer working primarily on healthcare and transportation issues, including improving Massachusetts’s non-emergency medical transportation program and working with the state’s Medicaid agency to shorten the timelines for wheelchair repairs.

Prior to working at BCIL, Jessica worked as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Greater Boston Legal Services, where she provided advocacy to ensure that people with disabilities had access to integrated and respectful healthcare in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Jessica has a Juris Doctor degree from New England Law Boston and a B.A. in Communications from SUNY Plattsburgh.

Noel Sanders is a Senior Community Organizer at the BCIL. She is working to dismantle structural inequality through intersectional activism, with the goal of supporting and empowering BIPOC consumers. She focuses on addressing the relationship between lived oppression and health disparities. Her work centers around building more comprehensive, accessible public health structures. She has worked to fight displacement in disadvantaged communities across the East Coast and in Bosnia, Croatia, and Spain. She is dedicated to tackling systemic oppression and sees housing inequality, climate change, racism, ableism, and gender oppression as interrelated issues of public health. She is an experienced project coordinator.

• Workshop 1.1 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 1.1 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 1.1 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 1.1 Slideshow – audio

Nadia Hadad, from Belgium, has been a human rights activist from a young age. She worked as an engineer on projects ranging from those related to access to water, to training of craftsmen and young people excluded from education, to training and supporting local women’s groups in technical issues in many countries. Later on, she became a Disability Inclusion Policy Officer in the field of development cooperation. Nadia is a Co-chair of the Board of the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) and a member of the Executive Committee of the European Disability Forum (EDF).

Dr. Teodor Mladenov, from Bulgaria, is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education and Social Work, University of Dundee. Previously, he was a Marie Curie Individual Fellow at the ENIL (2017-2019), and Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Centre for Public Policy Research, King’s College London (2013-2016). He is the author of Critical Theory and Disability: A Phenomenological Approach (2015, Bloomsbury), and Disability and Postsocialism (2018, Routledge). In the period 2000-2009 he was actively involved in campaigning for disability rights in Bulgaria.

• Workshop 1.2 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 1.2 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 1.2 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 1.2 Slideshow – audio

Dominique Dunford is the Executive Director of the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV), in Arlington, VA. Dominique has doubled her CIL’s operating budget and realized a 60% increase in staffing. ECNV boasts a diverse and inclusive workforce that is over 80% disabled, linguistically rich in over six languages, Queer+-identifying, and spans from baby boomers to Generation Z. Dominique’s tenure is marked by a significant emphasis on transformation, focusing on integrating a racial equity and disability justice perspective into all facets of ECNV. Currently, she is spearheading a year-long strategic planning process, embedding these core principles deeply into the organization’s future trajectory.

Solomon Parker is a visionary leader in the field of healthcare, serving as the Director of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Program Strategy at CareSource, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan with a mission to improve the health and well-being its members and communities. With a career spanning nearly two decades in Kentucky Medicaid waiver programs, Solomon possesses a wealth of experience and expertise in the realm of healthcare.

In his current role at CareSource, he champions transformative strategies and fosters innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of individuals with I/DD. His unwavering commitment extends into critical areas such as community integrated employment and propelling a culture of diversity within the workplace.

Aarti Sahgal is the Founder & CEO of Synergies Work, the largest startup hub that empowers people with disabilities through entrepreneurship. As a mother of a young adult with Down syndrome and with over 18 years of experience in building inclusive communities and workforce strategies for individuals with disabilities, she is dedicated to challenging low expectations, redefining the disability narrative, and bridging the disability wealth gap. She is a board member at GA State Rehabilitation Council, recognized as a ‘Woman Making an Impact’, and a ‘Equity Champion’ award finalist by Startup Atlanta in 2023. With 14 years in marketing and a Master’s degree in business management, Aarti is a catalyst for change.

• Workshop 1.3 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 1.3 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 1.3 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 1.3 Slideshow – audio

Mayra Colazo is the Executive Director at Central Washington Disability Resources (CWDR). She has worked with individuals with disabilities for over nine years and is passionate about advocating for equality for all. She lives in a small rural town called Ellensburg in the Center of Washington State. CWDR covers a five-county area in Central Washington majority rural. She sees the struggles that individuals with disabilities experience in small rural towns, from lack of resources to lack of education. Mayra has been super active as part of committees that focus on advocacy for individuals with disabilities. On these committees, Mayra emphasizes the importance of policies and working to advance accessibility, education, access, and advocacy. #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

Leah Velasco is the Executive Director of the Center for Independence (CFI). She has been serving the disability community for over 15 years. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work and is passionate about working with youth and young adults. Leah is a Washington state native and has three young children. Her personal experience with disabilities is what led to her passion for advocating for CILs. CFI serves 8 counties of Western Washington, with two office locations. The Board consists of over 50% of BIPOC individuals and CFI is committed to viewing its work through a DEIA lens.

• Workshop 1.4 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 1.4 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 1.4 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 1.4 Slideshow – audio

Mellie Adu (she/they), has worked for CILs in three states, currently serves as Chief Executive of Strategy and Innovation for the Arizona SILC, and has also served as a SILC member. Mellie recalls feeling hesitant about shifting from CIL to SILC work just over a decade ago, but after realizing the inherent potential SILCs have for strategic systems change, became passionate about maximizing opportunities to mitigate barriers. As a longtime facilitator of both strategic and action planning for individuals and organizations, Mellie is favorably regarded for pioneering projects, programming, and practices that promote sustainable progress.

Paula McElwee is the Director for Technical Assistance for the IL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Independent Living at ILRU. In addition to providing individualized technical assistance, Paula moderates training calls monthly for CIL staff and SILC staff and board members. She previously served on the board of Resources for Independence of the Central Valley and served as interim executive director for four CILs in California, assisting the boards to transition to their next executive director. Paula has provided training, facilitation and consultation with state associations, SILCs, and numerous Centers throughout the country.

• Workshop 1.5 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 1.5 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 1.5 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 1.5 Slideshow – audio

Misty Dion, who proudly identifies as having a disability, is the CEO of the Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living (RTFCIL) of North Central PA with over 20 years of experience advancing disability rights and justice on the local, state and national levels. Under Misty’s leadership, RTFCIL has become nationally recognized for its relentless opposition to guardianship, successful transition services and most recently, as the first CIL to provide emergency relocation services reimbursed through FEMA. She is a founding member of the national coalition Liberators for Justice and actively participates on NCIL Subcommittees. Misty is also a member of National ADAPT, having founded the North Central ADAPT chapter. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Pennsylvania College of Technology with her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science / Human Services.

Dominique Dunford is the Executive Director of the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV), in Arlington, VA. Dominique has doubled her CIL’s operating budget and realized a 60% increase in staffing. ECNV boasts a diverse and inclusive workforce that is over 80% disabled, linguistically rich in over six languages, Queer+-identifying, and spans from baby boomers to Generation Z. Dominique’s tenure is marked by a significant emphasis on transformation, focusing on integrating a racial equity and disability justice perspective into all facets of ECNV. Currently, she is spearheading a year-long strategic planning process, embedding these core principles deeply into the organization’s future trajectory.

Thomas Earl is CEO of Liberty Resources, Inc., a Center for Independent Living in Philadelphia. A Pennsylvania licensed attorney, he has been involved in the legal rights of people with disabilities since 1992 and worked previously with the Disabilities Law Project (now Disability Rights Pennsylvania) as an attorney representing people with disabilities in federal discrimination cases, and subsequently the ADA Project Manager, coordinating the enforcement of disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act across Pennsylvania.       

Karen Tamley has been the President and CEO of Access Living in Chicago since 2020, succeeding founding CEO Marca Bristo. A lifelong disability rights advocate, Karen served eight years on the United States Access Board, is currently on the Obama Foundation Inclusion Council and the Illinois Commission on Hate Crimes and Discrimination. She previously served as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities where she advanced disability inclusion in transportation, city infrastructure, technology, emergency planning, education, and employment. Karen, her husband, Kevin, and their teenage daughter are all disabled and actively involved in local and national disability advocacy.

Kimberly Tissot is President and CEO of Able SC where she guides staff in applying the philosophy of independent living to real situations. Kimberly believes in the value of individualized and community-based empowerment. In 2017, she led the efforts in passing South Carolina’s “Persons with Disabilities Right to Parent Act” and, in 2018 and 2022, ending subminimum wage in South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in human development from Boston University, Wheelock College of Education, and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.

Shigeto Itani was born in 1978. He had a car accident at the age of 22 (2001) and became disabled. He was a university student at that time. He stayed in the hospital a long time and also in his parents’ house. He started living independently when he was 29 years old. He established CIL-HOSHIZORA (Starry Sky) in 2009 and has worked in the independent living movement since then. As for international work, he has traveled Jordan and Columbia to disseminate IL movements through JICA projects. Currently, he is serving as Vice-Chair of Japan Council on Independent Living (JIL), as Chair of the Peer-Counseling Committee at JIL, and as a board member of DPI-JAPAN.

Satoshi Sato lived in an institution after he acquired a disability at the age of 9. He got involved with the IL Movement when he met a person with a significant disability living independently. In 2003, he began assisting CILs in developing countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia, Taiwan, Mongolia, Costa Rica, and Bolivia. Satoshi now serves at DPI-JAPAN as the Secretary General. His work involves policy negotiations, human rights protection, and accessibility.

• Workshop 2.2 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 2.2 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 2.2 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 2.2 Slideshow – audio

Nancy Boutot has nearly 30 years’ experience in local, state, and national employment programs, focusing on community integration, employment policy, career pathways, and asset development. She brings subject matter expertise in Discovery and Customized Employment, financial empowerment, disability benefits management, work supports, and cross-systems collaboration. She is an experienced presenter and subject matter expert on employment and financial empowerment for individuals with disabilities.

Elizabeth Layman has subject matter expertise at the intersection of health equity, financial empowerment, and equitable technology. She has developed curricula for FDIC’s Money Smart and CFPB’s Your Money, Your Goals; managed user experience research for tech giants; and collaborated with diversity, equity and inclusion powerhouses like the NAACP and Unidos US. Most recently, Elizabeth led a national study on the impact of autonomous vehicles on employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for people with disabilities.

Sarah Loizeaux is a subject matter expert on creating inclusive career pathways to leverage resources across systems that promote employment for people with disabilities. She serves as a Training and Technical Assistance Manager for National Disability Institute. Sarah has developed innovative practices that increased programmatic access and workforce performance outcomes. Her expertise includes identifying Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) promising practices, emphasizing universal design principles.

• Workshop 2.3 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 2.3 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 2.3 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 2.3 Slideshow – audio

Vicki Landers is a proud, queer femme that lives with both visible and unseen disabilities. She is grounded by her partner, her familiars, and her son Kyle. She enjoys hunting for vintage Halloween items, early 1900’s colored glass, anything Tim Burton, and eating tacos. Vicki’s background is in retail management, training, and customer service, as well as being an artist. She is the Founder and Director of Disability Pride Pennsylvania. She found her space in the disability community by providing FUN. She says, “We as a community are inherently fighting for our rights to live independently and to be heard by the medical professionals, as well as our own bodies. We need a space to enjoy, have fun, and celebrate the victories.” DPP programming includes disability pride events to bring communities together in a fun social way. DPP believes that bringing people together socially creates stronger communities, and stronger communities have better conversations.

• Workshop 2.5 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 2.5 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 2.5 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 2.5 Slideshow – audio

Farrah Garland describes themselves as “good, necessary trouble,” to borrow a phrase from civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis. They are a disability and queer rights activist and advocate based in Stonington Connecticut (CT). They love their work, which ranges wildly, but all circles around the core concepts of human rights, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

They started off by “yelling at stairs,” a term they still use today to describe their work. Which is to say, advocating and doing education about inaccessibility in everyday locations. This led to consulting work and a seat on the CT SILC. Farrah has taken their fight for the rights of marginalized communities to the political sphere by bringing a disabled, queer, and nonbinary / trans perspective to the table.

Carol Tyson is the Government Affairs Liaison for the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), a national law and policy center, with offices in Berkeley, California and Washington, D.C. Tyson provides an advocate voice in the District, and works in coalition with disability and civil rights partners and industry stakeholders, focusing on: transportation equity; healthcare; supports and services needed to remain in the community; education; and civil rights.  Prior to joining DREDF, Tyson served as the Director, Disability Policy for United Spinal Association, and as a researcher in the labor movement supporting workers in the US and Australia.

Colin Killick (he/him/his) is the Executive Director of Disability Policy Consortium (DPC), a statewide civil rights advocacy and research organization run by and for people with disabilities. He co-founded the Housing Advocacy Leadership Team (HALT), which since 2014 has successfully advocated to more than quadruple Massachusetts’ investment in affordable housing for people with disabilities, and led DPC’s successful efforts to overturn and replace Massachusetts’ discriminatory COVID-19 Crisis Standards of Care in 2020. He has motor dysgraphia, executive function disorder, and major depression, and credits the accommodations he received thanks to prior generations of disability rights advocates for being able to do this work.

Tom Olin is most known for his photojournalism and involvement in the disability rights movements and campaigns for disability justice for over the last 40 years. That history includes 10 Centers for Independent Living throughout the country, NCIL, APRIL, ADAPT, Not Dead Yet, MindFreedom, SABE, and Mouth Magazine Tom has done two tours with the “Road to Freedom” bus; he is CEO of the Disability Rights Center; and is a founding member of DisDATA, SILVER and Liberators 4 Justice. He recently moved to Tucson, AZ where he joined the board of directors of the Center for Independent Living, DIRECT.

• Workshop 3.1 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 3.1 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 3.1 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 3.1 Slideshow – audio

Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie (Ph.D.) works with Vermont Center for Independent Living as the Independent Living Coordinator in charge of the Youth Transition Programs. She works with all students with IEP / 504 plans across the State of Vermont between the ages of 14 to 26 to build their self-advocacy skills and strategies. She also teaches the Global Disability Studies course and Race and Racism course as adjunct at the University of Vermont. As one of the experts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), she won the prestigious Prelock 2022 award for her excellent asynchronous online course at the University of Vermont. At Saint Michael’s College, she teaches Disability Justice and Ethical Leadership and Disability Policies, a course designed for Principals and other leaders.

• Workshop 3.2 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 3.2 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 3.2 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 3.2 Slideshow – audio

Dan Okenfuss is the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers’ Public Policy Manager. He facilitates the CFILC Public Policy Committee, led by CFILC members. Previously, Dan worked in Washington, DC and California as a legislative staffer.

Russell Rawlings is the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers’ Community Organizing Manager. He is responsible for managing the DOnetwork (Disability Organizing Network), a California statewide systems change network.

• Workshop 3.3 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 3.3 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 3.3 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 3.3 Slideshow – audio

Sandra Breitengross Bitter (she/her), a Hispanic, neurodivergent individual with lived experience in mental health, originally hails from a small desert town in California but now calls Texas home. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from California Baptist University, Sandra spent the first part of her career working in public policy for the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2012, she joined the Texas SILC staff and most recently held the position of Executive Director. In 2022, Sandra became the Director of Training for the ILRU IL-NET T&TA Center for Independent Living.

Jeremy Morris is the Executive Director of the Ohio SILC. Before joining the SILC in 2017, Jeremy had spent almost 10 years working in Independent Living, previously serving as the Executive Director of the Access Center in Dayton, OH and Finance Coordinator at the Western Reserve ILC in Warren, Ohio. His background in CILs includes direct services, advocacy and community partnerships, and operations management. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Tyler Morris is the Executive Director at CIL Jacksonville in Jacksonville, FL. He has worked in the Independent Living field since 2007. Morris will soon complete his final term as the Network of Centers Representative, where he led initiatives like the statewide compensation analysis of CILs and a CIL-to-CIL support network called “Core Connections.” He is an alumnus of the University of North Florida, where he gained his Bachelor’s Degree in Education – Deaf Studies and a Master’s in Business Administration. Morris is a proud member of the disability and LGBT+ communities and advocates for going further together.

Kimberly Tissot is the President and CEO of Able SC in South Carolina and has over 20 years of experience advancing disability rights and inclusion. Kimberly is recognized nationally for mentoring other CILs in applying the IL philosophy to real-world circumstances. In South Carolina, Kimberly led legislative campaigns to successfully pass the “Persons with Disabilities Right to Parent Act” in 2017 and to end subminimum wage in 2022.  A proud person with disabilities, Kimberly exemplifies peer leadership and advocacy.

• Workshop 3.4 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 3.4 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 3.4 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 3.4 Slideshow – audio

Marcie Roth, a distinguished leader, has been a trailblazer in disability advocacy for almost 50 years, including working for a CIL and chairing two SILCs. In response to the 9/11 attacks, while serving as NCIL’s Director of Advocacy and Policy, Marcie shifted her advocacy towards enhancing emergency preparedness and disaster outcomes for people with disabilities. Appointed by President Obama to FEMA, she served as Senior Advisor, leading the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination from 2009 to 2017. Marcie advises governments, corporations, health systems, and the United Nations. In 2020, she launched the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration, connecting funders with disability-led organizations for swift humanitarian relief.

Julie Farrar holds a B.S.in Human Services, Non-Profit Administration from Metropolitan State University and has worked in Long Term Care Health Policy for over fifteen years. Julie has been involved in the disability rights movement since she met Wade Blank and the Gang of Nineteen in Denver, when was she was 16 years old. She participated in the ADAPT Capitol Crawl in DC in 1990, using direct action tactics to persuade legislators to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. Julie currently works on building a fusion Social Justice Movement that includes perspectives and leadership from the disability community.

Clifton Perez of Troy, New York has been working in the field of advocacy to enhance and defend the rights of people with disabilities since 1985. He holds a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Stony Brook NY, and currently serves as the Systems Advocate for the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley. He has served as NCIL’s Vice President and Region II Representative. He represented NCIL on the U.S Access Board’s Railroad & Vehicle Accessibility Advisory Committee (RVAAC). In 2016, he was appointed to the New York SILC and to represent NYSILC on the state Rehabilitation Council.

Julia Solow (she/her) has a passion for organizing that comes from a long legacy of organizing in her family, personal experiences of struggle, and amazing mentors along her journey. She has been involved in grassroots organizing work ever since social work professors in college introduced her to immigrant rights leaders fighting for the DREAM Act in 2010. For the past five years, Julia has been one of the lead state-wide organizers on the Fair Pay for Home Care campaign. Julia has a Master’s degree in Social Work from CUNY Hunter College.

Isabel Hodge is a distinguished leader and advocate in the international disability rights movement. As Executive Director of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), she manages a 31-year global networking and consulting hub with relationships with organizations of persons with disabilities in countries around the world. Isabel’s advocacy work involves striving for the US’ ratification of and promoting and assisting countries with their implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Prior to joining USICD, Isabel was a Senior Analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Special Needs. She currently serves as the Secretary of Disabled Peoples International (DPI), as the Vice President of DPI North America and the Caribbean.

LeAnn Naillon has served on the NCIL International Subcommittee since 2018 and was recently appointed as Chair. She has had the honor of working in the inclusive sports, recreation, and leadership space for over 20 years. During that time, she worked at a Center for Independent Living where she worked with an international exchange between Mongolia, Japan, and the United States. LeAnn is an alumnus for Sports Diplomacy and Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellowship Program (YSEALI PFP) exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since 2014 this work has introduced her to individuals, communities, and organizations addressing disability issues in China, Laos, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, and Brunie Darussalam.  She continues to consult on both programs that provide opportunities to elevated global minded leaders with integrity.

• Workshop 4.2 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 4.2 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 4.2 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 4.2 Slideshow – audio

Jane Johnson is the Executive Director of the Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living. In this role, she works with state agencies and the Florida Legislature to advocate on behalf of Florida’s network of Centers for Independent Living, whose mission is to ensure Floridians with disabilities can live independently in their communities and pursue their educational, employment and personal goals. Jane earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Norwich University.

Bridget Smith is a Director of Case Management with 20+ years of experience in the healthcare sector. Bridget is skilled in leading and increasing responsibility in staff development, promoting healthcare compliance, and program administration. Bridget is a dynamic and empowering leader who drives solutions while increasing efficiency and supporting employee development to provide outstanding customer service. Bridget is an expert in managing federal grants to improve health in underserved communities and is committed to providing exceptional management.

Joseph Medina has over 13 years of experience in the healthcare industry, and has focused efforts on serving the elderly and underrepresented populations of Florida. A graduate of both Florida State University and the University of North Florida, Joseph began a career in insurance, striving to ensure people were able to protect their most treasured asset, their family.

Transitioning into healthcare, Joseph aided seniors in Florida to secure affordable healthcare with flexible options and minimal cost. For the past 10 years, Joseph has helped lead the Long-Term Care program for Sunshine Health. Focused on compliance, regulatory reporting, and strategic initiatives, Joseph has spearheaded multiple projects designed to address homelessness, improve provider engagement, and increase member satisfaction while residing in the community.

• Workshop 4.3 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 4.3 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 4.3 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 4.3 Slideshow – audio

Erin Black, a dynamic disability advocate and team member at Transition Discoveries, holds a degree in Disability Studies and Public Relations from the University of Toledo. As a recent graduate living with a rare neuromuscular condition, Erin is dedicated to empowering youth with disabilities. Passionate about public speaking and visual creation for marketing / social media, she shares her inspiring story worldwide. Connect with Erin and learn more at erinblack.net.

Erin Weierbach has been working alongside youth and families for 20 years. Living with a disability herself, she is passionate about educating people around self advocacy and driving systems that support them. She has co-designed resources and programs supporting young people, including being an adult ally for the Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network and the Transition Discoveries Initiative through The George Washington University. In addition, she is currently the Community Programs Specialist for the Charcot Marie Tooth Association and co-owner of Get Smok’d BBQ with her husband.

Theo W. Braddy graduated from Temple University with a Master’s degree in social work in 1988, after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in social work from Edinboro University. At the age of 15, he became a person with a disability due to a high school football accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. For more than 40 years, Braddy has advocated on behalf of persons with disabilities. He was hired in 1988 as CEO of the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania. As CEO, he created a CIL that has become a strong and growing voice for persons with disabilities. Braddy has taught at Temple University and Millersville University as an adjunct professor. Braddy became the Executive Director of NCIL in 2023.

Jennifer Kucera is a disability thought leader, public speaker, master storyteller, consultant, educator and systems change advocate with 53 years of lived experience. Born with a form of Muscular Dystrophy called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Jennifer has been a lifelong advocate. She currently serves as a member of UnitedHealthcare’s National Advisory Board, a member of Ohio’s Developmental Disability Council, Chair of the Ohio Olmstead Task Force’s Direct Care Workforce Crisis work group and spent many years as a math teacher.

Edward Mitchell was a victim of a hit-and-run bicycle accident in 2003, struck by a vehicle and thrown into a ditch, where he was found by his younger brother. As a result of the accident, Edward has quadriplegia with an incomplete spinal cord injury. He obtained his Master’s degree in business administration in 2011 from Union University. He works as the Interim Executive Director of the SILC of Tennessee while serving on numerous boards, including a three-year term on the Statewide Council on Developmental Disabilities.

• Workshop 4.5 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 4.5 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 4.5 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 4.5 Slideshow – audio

Anita Cameron has been Not Dead Yet’s Director of Minority Outreach since January 2017. She has met with national and state policy makers and written persuasively about opposition to a public policy of assisted suicide from the perspective of communities of color who experience disparities in access to healthcare. Previously, she worked at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) in Washington, D.C. to get out the disability vote, and as Systems Advocate for the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, NY, from 2006-2010, addressing a broad range of disability rights issues. Anita currently serves on the National Disability Leadership Alliance’s Racism Taskforce. She holds a degree in Biology from University of Illinois at Chicago Circle and a degree in Computer Information Systems from Community College of Denver.

Ian McIntosh is Deputy Director of Disability Outreach at the Patients Rights Action Fund, an organization that organizes diverse coalitions in individual states to oppose assisted suicide bills. Ian has long personal experiences with the intersection of disability and healthcare and has advocated for and written on various topics, having been published in the International Journal of Disability, Community, & Rehabilitation. Ian’s professional experience in outreach is also informed by his leadership with labor union organization in his native Ontario, Canada. Ian handles the accessibility for and outreach to leaders in the disability rights movement and the disability community.

Vincenzo Piscopo is the President / CEO of United Spinal Association, an organization founded by paralyzed veterans and which represents people living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) in the United States. Piscopo, a wheelchair-user who was paralyzed from a herniated disk in 2010, is also the founder and board member of the Wheels of Happiness Foundation which helps people with motor disabilities in disadvantaged areas of the world. Piscopo resides with his wife and four children in Atlanta.

• Workshop 5.1 Handout A (PDF)
• Workshop 5.1 Handout A – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 5.1 Handout A – plain text
• Workshop 5.1 Handout A – audio
• Workshop 5.1 Handout B (PDF)
• Workshop 5.1 Handout B – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 5.1 Handout B – plain text
• Workshop 5.1 Handout B – audio

Molly Cole is the Executive Director of the Connecticut SILC. She has over 40 years of experience in the field of developmental disabilities and non-profit management. She comes to this position with an array of leadership experience, including serving as the Associate Director of the University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the Director of the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities. She is the past president of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, a founding member of Family Voices, a national grassroots organization, and past president of the National Family Voices Board of Directors.

Gretchen Knauff is the Director of the Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities for New Haven, Connecticut. For the past 35 years, she has advocated for the rights of persons with disabilities while holding various positions at the Connecticut Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (P&A), most recently as Assistant Director. She also worked to establish Disability Rights Connecticut and became its first Executive Director. Gretchen is currently a Board Member of the ADA Coalition of Connecticut and the Connecticut SILC. Gretchen is passionate about the civil and human rights of people with disabilities and works toward creating a community where everyone truly belongs.

• Workshop 5.2 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 5.2 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 5.2 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 5.2 Slideshow – audio

Ed Ahern is a Program Officer within the Office of Independent Living Programs at the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Prior to joining the ACL team in 2022, Ed spent 8 years as a Disability Integration Specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Ed became involved with Independent Living more than 30 years ago when he began using a manual wheelchair after becoming disabled following a car accident.

Erica McFadden is the Director of the Office of Independent Living Programs at the Administration for Community Living (ACL). While she has been with ACL for a little more than 2 years, she has more than 25 years of experience in disability policy. She has worked in leadership positions at a university think tank, a state DD council, and a Center for Independent Living. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration & Policy from Arizona State University, an MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and dual Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. She also has cerebral palsy.

• Workshop 5.3 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 5.3 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 5.3 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 5.3 Slideshow – audio

This workshop will be presented by members of the Spellers & Allies Advocacy Network

• Workshop 5.4 Handout A (PDF)
• Workshop 5.4 Handout A – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 5.4 Handout A – plain text
• Workshop 5.4 Slideshow – audio

Tyree Brown is a Christian visual artist. In 2015 she became quadriplegic during a car accident. She received her Associate degree in Fine Art at the Corcoran School of George Washington University and a Media Production certificate at the Prince George’s Community College. She works as a video editor for a nonprofit and as a Lived Experience researcher for the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University.

Kim The (she/her) is a senior research associate at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy. She holds a Ph.D. in Disability Studies with a concentration in gender and women’s studies. Her research centers around building more intersectional disability activist groups— particularly in regards to women of color with disabilities. As a qualitative researcher, Kim assists with data analysis and manuscript writing across the various Lurie centers. Kim is passionate about working with people with disabilities throughout the research process.

Mary-Kate Wells serves as Program Director at NCIL. She has 10 years of experience in the disability and Independent Living field. Prior to her current role, Mary-Kate worked at her local CIL in Boston Massachusetts, managing a growing youth program and home modification program. She believes in creating equitable and sustainable programs that emphasize collaboration and accountability. She holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Salve Regina University. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) with a commitment to advancing the rights of people with disabilities. Mary-Kate is a proud member of the disability community bringing lived experience with chronic illness, mental health, and learning disabilities.

• Workshop 5.5 Slideshow (PDF)
• Workshop 5.5 Slideshow – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 5.5 Slideshow – plain text
• Workshop 5.5 Slideshow – audio
• Workshop 5.5 Handout A (PDF)
• Workshop 5.5 Handout A – Large Print (Word)
• Workshop 5.5 Handout A – plain text
• Workshop 5.5 Handout A – audio