The Disability Leadership Summit Gave Me A Lot of Insight on What I can Bring to Southwestern Pennsylvania

In February, I was lucky enough to have my first 30 days as Disability Lead’s Southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA) Regional Director culminate with attending the 2025 Disability Leadership Summit. The Summit is a two-day national convening designed by disabled professionals to support the advancement of leaders with disabilities in their workplace, and serve as a place for connection for disabled leaders and allies. As the new SWPA Regional Director, this event provided me with an inspiring preview of the kind of programming I hope to build.
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During my onboarding, I’d had the opportunity to get to know Disability Lead’s people and values. In retrospect, attending Summit truly crystallized my understanding of the work we do at Disability Lead, and why it is so crucial in growing the leadership opportunities, networks, and impact of people with disabilities. I believe I can more effectively replicate the model in SWPA now that I have seen Disability Lead’s mission in action through the Summit.
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During the sessions, I heard both speakers and attendees tell moving stories about the barriers, prejudices, and obstacles they had to overcome, and share strategies and insights with each other. Emily Voorde led an amazing session focused on making “brand building” a human experience that was inclusive and celebratory of disability, rather than feeling exploited or tokenized. All of the speakers spoke with pride about their efforts —and the support of their organizations — to make disability a core part of how diversity is defined. They demonstrated how intersectional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts can build more humane systems, like Rebecca Williford's leadership in winning lawsuits to make the New York City subway system more accessible. I also heard disabled leaders speak with power about their professional experiences. The speakers shared their experiences getting appointed to boards, commissions — and in Rachel Arfa's case, the Chicago Mayor’s office — positions of power and influence.
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Presenters and attendees shared examples of how they obtained needed accommodations by helping their employers build more just and inclusive practices. When coming up with an accommodation strategy that positioned him to do his best work, Johnny Walker asked his employer, “How do we thrive together?” This question was critical in establishing a workplace where not only Johnny could perform well, but where the organization could reap considerable benefits from Johnny‘s contributions.
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More than anything else, I heard pieces of my own story as a person with a disability, and learned how I can show that what others perceive as a deficit is in reality a strength. After attending the Summit, I emerged resolute to build structures, networks, and a community that leverages and enhances the leadership and insights of people with disabilities in SWPA.