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At Disability Lead, we have bold ideas to shift what workforce development looks like for people with disabilities. Disabled professionals are not just part of the workforce we are essential to its leadership and future. We are proud to be led by a disabled woman CEO and to employ disabled people.
As we continue to honor the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and and National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we are sharing reflections from our staff about what the ADA means to them.
Anne Renna, Development Manager
The ADA was a step toward justice—toward recognizing that people with disabilities deserve the same chances to learn, work, and live fully. The ADA challenged a system that excluded too many for too long. There’s still progress to be made, but its passage reminds me that justice means removing barriers—not just physical ones, but the ones built by bias and inequality. I’m proud to go to work every day with the goal of empowering disabled leaders who are breaking barriers in the continuing fight for justice. Read Anne Renna's bio here.
April McFadden, Marketing and Communications Manager
As a Black disabled woman, I am forever grateful to the changemakers who have come before me–both the prominent and the everyday–and who have fought for the civil rights policies that have shaped the world we live in. We have a long way to go before we achieve an equitable society, and there are forces that threaten that progress. I always remind myself that I am here because my ancestors survived, and I owe it to the future to keep kicking the proverbial ball forward. Read April McFadden's bio here.
Clare Killy, Education and Learning Services Manager
I once would have said that experiencing the Disability Lead Institute as a Fellow was the most transformative experience of my professional journey. Now, as manager of the program, it’s supporting and learning from the emerging disabled leaders of the future, which continues to transform my perspective each year. In the current moment, I feel the weight more than ever before to empower our Fellows to claim their rightful positions of influence and to ensure they know that their voices matter. It is through their authentic leadership that we can help to ensure history is not forgotten and that those who came before us are honored each and every day in the continued fight for disability justice. Read Clare Killy's bio here.
Emily Blum, CEO of Disability Lead
Reflecting on the 35th Anniversary of the ADA and Disability Lead's 10-year milestone, I’m reminded that progress is both profound and fragile. I'm so proud of the way we've built community, fostered leadership, and grown our programs in Chicago and Southwestern Pennsylvania with a vision for continued growth beyond these two locations.
What we've created feels both powerful and strong and at the same time requires all of us to be diligent in ensuring its endurance.
Celebrating these anniversaries renews my commitment: we must elevate our disabled leaders, ensure their voices are at tables of power and influence, and demand our shared humanity is recognized and valued. Our work isn’t done until inclusion is unconditional, and until leadership reflects the beautifully diverse reality of disability itself. Read Emily Blum's bio here.
Jenn Jones, Operations Manager
As someone with an invisible disability and a career in HR, I’m grateful for how far we’ve come since the ADA’s passage. I’ve seen our field evolve from focusing on compliance to embracing a person-centered approach that values access, inclusion, and humanity. The ADA laid the foundation for that shift, reminding us that equity at work is a civil right, not a courtesy. I want to continue strengthening protections in healthcare, education, and employment, and I’m proud to work at an organization that empowers disabled leaders to shift power and redefine leadership. Read Jenn Jone's bio here.
Jess Grainger, SWPA Regional Director
Thirty-five years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed- I remember watching it on television in elementary school, and our 3rd grade teacher trying to convey to all of us how important and impactful this was. 35 years later, on some days, it feels like we're going backward at the federal level. But, I remind myself that the good fight has always been in front of us, and that the disability community is strong, resilient, and we'll meet this moment just like we have for decades. Don't lose hope. Read Jess Grainger's bio here.
Risa Rifkind, Senior Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives
I’m four days younger than the ADA. I grew up wholly and unwaveringly believing that my body, my existence, my dreams were not up for debate. I felt secure behind a shield that I had civil rights that affirmed my presence as a disabled woman of color. 35 years later, I still owe so much to growing up with that confidence, but I’m so saddened by how fragile that protection really is. While it might not feel like a moment to celebrate, this milestone anniversary is a time to proudly declare and defend our rights to exist and thrive as a community. Like our disabled ancestors did before us and for us, we must remain committed to disabled leadership, to fighting to keep our rights, and to also fight for our dreams because we deserve more than only having our basic human rights met. Read Risa Rifkind's bio here.