Disability Lead

📣Register for the latest edition of the Disability Power Series!

Join us for a Disability Power Series conversation featuring Jordyn Zimmerman, who will share about her journey as a non-speaking autistic self-advocate., Jordyn will take part in an engaging conversation that touches on her experience being segregated and denied access to effective augmentative communication until the age of 18. From advocating across the government, to acting as the chair of a non-profit, and working across the education and technology sectors, she’s now using her voice to make change. Lauren Schrero, a 2026 Fellow and former colleague of Zimmerman, will be moderating this powerful conversation.

Event Details
Date: Tuesday, October 20
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. CT/ 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Price: Free

ASL and CART will be provided during this virtual program.

👉Register here: https://www.disabilitylead.org/events/dps-jordyn-zimmerman

What an unforgettable night.

Thank you for joining us to celebrate Disability Lead's 10th anniversary and a decade of building power, activating influence, and catalyzing change through disabled leadership. At our celebration, we honored the incredible leaders, partners, artists, advocates, and supporters who make this work possible.

We celebrated our honorees:
🏆 Kevin Irvine, Outstanding Mentorship Award
🏆 Cause Strategy Partners, Outstanding Partnership Award

We're also deeply grateful to our sponsors, The Chicago Community Trust, Disabilities Fund, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, Cause Strategy Partners, Waymo, Rush University System for Health, and Access Living, and to our dedicated Host Committee for helping make this celebration possible.

As Emily Blum reminds us, Disability Lead was built on the belief that disabled people deserve not only rights, but power. In 2015, Disability Lead's founders envisioned a future where disabled people not only had rights, but also held power. Today, our network of more than 300 leaders holds hundreds of leadership positions across boards, executive teams, commissions, councils, and civic institutions. Perhaps even more importantly, our community continues to open doors for one another through mentorship, nominations, and meaningful connections.

To echo the words of our Board Chair, Chad Turner, this work depends on all of us choosing to invest in what comes next.

The celebration event may be over, but our next chapter is just beginning.
💜 Help us power the future of disabled leadership.
👉 Donate today: https://disabilitylead.app.neoncrm.com/forms/building-power-for-the-future-2025-44?campaignId=44

📣 The Institute application deadline for Chicago applicants is today! If you are a Chicago applicant or know someone applying, the application deadline is today!

Applicants need to:
1️⃣Answer three essay questions
2️⃣ Submit a copy of a resume and a short bio
3️⃣Have a nominator complete a short form

Complete applications are due today, September 9, at 5:00 p.m. CT.

🚨We are extending the deadline for Southwestern PA applicants. The second Southwestern PA Institute application will now have a rolling deadline, meaning the application will remain open to all who are interested in applying.
Southwestern PA applications will be reviewed as they are received. Learn more or share the application by visiting: www.disabilitylead.org/apply

Here is how you can help: September is Disability Pride in Pittsburgh. Help us celebrate by sharing this transformative leadership experience with a disabled leader in your network.

Today, we’re highlighting 2019 Fellow, Art Sims! 🎉Art has been appointed as a commissioner on the Illinois Commission on LGBTQ Aging, established by Public Act 102-0885. In this role, he’ll examine and analyze the housing, health, long-term care, and support needs of LGBTQ older adults and their caregivers across Illinois, and report key findings and strategic recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the public.

Art shared that he is “beyond honored to continue to serve my fellow humanity,” and credits this opportunity to his connection with Disability Lead. Art’s appointment is a testament to his leadership and advocacy and an example of our Connections programming, which connects our Members to opportunities to lead.

Join us in congratulating Art in the comments. 👇

⏰ There's still time to apply for the 2027 Disability Lead Institute!

The Institute is a transformative, year-long fellowship is designed for emerging or established leaders who are eager to explore their disability identity and lead with power and influence alongside a group of committed peers.

The application process is simple:
✅ Answer three essay questions
✅ Submit a resume and short bio
✅ Have a nominator complete a short form

We encourage people living or working in Chicagoland or Southwestern Pennsylvania who self-identify as a person with a disability and want to grow as leaders to apply.

Know someone who would benefit from this transformative leadership experience? Share this opportunity with them today.

📅 Applications are due Wednesday, September 9 at 5:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. ET.

🔗 www.disabilitylead.org/apply

In less than two weeks, we're celebrating a decade of impact, and we're grateful to the sponsors helping make this milestone possible! Thank you to The Chicago Community Trust, The Disabilities Fund, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, Waymo, Cause Strategy Partners, Rush University System for Health, and Access Living.

We are thankful to our individual donors and funding partners who have invested in disabled leadership since 2015. Help power our next decade by donating: https://disabilitylead.app.neoncrm.com/forms/10th-anniversary-campaign-56

This September, Disability Lead continues to raise awareness and honor the diversity of disabilities within the disability community. Together, we are working towards a more inclusive future that embraces diversity, equity, accessibility, and the collective power of our community.



Note: All slides have a peach background with the Disability logo with the text, “Power. Influence. Change.” beneath it at the top with center alignment.

Image 1 reads, "Disability Awareness Month and Days September Twenty Twenty-Six." The bottom portion of the graphic features people of various races and disabilities.

(All of the following graphics list disability awareness days and months in between partial graphics of a wall calendar coming from the top right and bottom left corners.)

Image 2 lists “Alopecia Awareness Month, Achalasia Awareness Month, Blood Cancer (Leukemia & Lymphoma) Awareness Month, and Chiari Malformation Awareness Month·”

Image 3 lists “Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Cortical Visual Impairment Awareness Month, Craniofacial Acceptance Month, Deaf Awareness Month, and Muscular Dysphoric Awareness Month.”

Image 4 lists “National Hydrocephalus Awareness Month, National Service Dog Awareness Month, National Su***de Prevention Month, and Orthostatic Tremor Awareness Month.”

Image 5 lists “Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Pain Awareness Month Sepsis Awareness Month, and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month.”

Image 6 lists “Polycystic O***y Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month, Prostate Awareness Month, Rheumatoid Disease Awareness Month, and Sickle Cell Awareness Month.”

Image 7 lists “Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, and World Alzheimer’s Month.”

Image 8 lists “Color Blindness Awareness Day September 6, World Su***de Prevention Day September 10, Celiac Disease Awareness Day September 13, and World Sepsis Day September 13.”

Image 9 lists “World Lymphoma Awareness Day September 15, Usher Syndrome Awareness Day September 16, National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day September 18, and World Alzheimer's Day September 21.”

Image 10 lists “World Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Day September 22, Day of Sign Languages September 23, and International Ataxia Awareness Day September 25.”

Image 11 lists “Mesothelioma Awareness Day September 26, World Deaf Day September 27, and World Heart Day September 29.”

“I gained a strong sense of empowerment. There’s a lot of power to be held in claiming my disability. I’m looking forward to pivoting to use it as a point of power.” ~Fellow, Chicago 2026 Institute cohort

Are you an emerging or established leader who is eager to explore your disability identity and develop your own leadership style among a group of committed peers? Do you live or work in the Chicago area or Southwestern Pennsylvania? Applications for the Institute, a year-long fellowship with Disability Lead, are open! www.disabilitylead.org/apply

Ten years ago, a small group of disabled leaders decided Chicago’s civic leadership should look different. This September, we’re celebrating everything that decision set in motion, and we want to publicly thank the people who are helping us turn the page to that next chapter.

Each of these individuals champions and nurtures disabled leadership boldly and consistently, and we’re so grateful they’ve come forward in support of Disability Lead as we move toward the future. Joining our host committee is more than a symbolic gesture: it comes with a meaningful financial contribution. A contribution made because they believe in this work and in what our Network has built over the past decade.

Please join me in recognizing our Celebrating a Decade of Impact host committee for lending their names, credibility, and generosity to this milestone. Adam Hecktman, Arnesa Omeragic, Barry Taylor, Dr. Carol Lipari, Chad Turner, Eli Brottman, Jacqueline Burgess-Bishop,Jae Jin Pak, Karen McCulloh, Karen Tamley, Kathleen Dillon Narko, Kim B. Holmes, Kruti Shah, La Shon Gurrola, Mary Anderson, Mark Ishaug, Michael Solomon, Nakia Green, Neal Kleemann, and Rebecca Williford.

We’ll be marking 10 years of power, influence, and change on September 15. If you are in Chicago, we invite you to join us! (https://ow.ly/Rafn50ZG87x)

Cheers to Richard Costes!🎉

Richard was selected for Leadership Greater Chicago’s Signature Fellows program. He joins a dedicated network of leaders stepping up to drive change across the region. This selection reflects Richard’s leadership in fighting for accessibility for disabled communities over the last decade.

As LGC Chief Executive Officer Myetie Hamilton noted, “Now, more than ever, our Fellows represent the collective power that is needed to meet the moment and steer our communities through challenging and uncertain times.”

Join us by congratulating Richard in the comments! 👇