RDA Strategies

On July 25–26, 2026, I joined business leaders, educators, advocates, policymakers, families, and students in Houston for Genuine Connect, a two-day forum focused on advancing inclusion and expanding pathways to employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.

Across conversations about employment, inclusive business models, technology and AI, public policy, advocacy, and sports, a common theme emerged: inclusion requires more than bringing people into existing systems. It requires examining the assumptions and structures that shape access to opportunity in the first place and clarifying what changes open that access.

I was particularly encouraged by discussions about social enterprises and employers demonstrating that disability inclusion is not charity. It can be a business strategy that recognizes talent, creates opportunity, and strengthens communities.

The forum concluded on July 26, the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, making its theme, “Turning Inclusion into Action,” especially meaningful.

The ADA changed what access and opportunity mean in America. Continuing that progress requires moving beyond intention. It also requires the everyday practices, partnerships, policies, and investments that make inclusion real.

Because lasting change is not measured only by the conversations we have, but by the opportunities we create because of them and the benefits those opportunities make possible.

On July 16, 2026, I led the development of Disability Rights California’s Disability Pride Los Angeles Community Gathering, bringing together approximately 90 community members, advocates, partners, supporters, and staff.

Hosted at DRC’s Downtown Los Angeles office, the gathering was designed as an accessible, flexible space for connection, conversation, and shared purpose—bringing together people committed to advancing disability rights, equity, access, and inclusion.

An important part of the strategy was extending that intention to our community partnerships. Los Angeles-based social enterprises Special Flavours, Mychal’s Learning Place, and ShemeshFarms contributed goods to the gathering, highlighting organizations creating opportunities for people with disabilities while strengthening their communities.

What stood out was what happened between the planned moments: conversations started, ideas were exchanged, new relationships formed, and people who may not otherwise have crossed paths found one another.

Convenings can be more than events. Designed intentionally, they can become tools for relationship-building, network development, and future collaboration.

Community does not happen by accident. Sometimes meaningful progress begins when we create the conditions for people to find one another.

On May 26, 2026, I joined more than 500 self-advocates, disability activists, organizations, and community leaders at the California State Capitol for the second annual California Disability Leadership Alliance (CDLA) Day of Action, representing Disability Rights California.

Organized by CDLA, a coalition of disability and Deaf-led organizations that includes DRC, the day created space for the disability community to come together in solidarity, advocate directly with state leaders, and build collective power.

The day moved from rally and march to direct advocacy. Alongside disability advocates and community partners, I met directly with legislators and their staff to advocate for issues that shape the independence and everyday lives of people with disabilities—including protecting IHSS and Medi-Cal services, strengthening mobile crisis supports, and ensuring resources for older adults and people with disabilities.

I also connected with advocates and organizations including Rolling Start, Family Voices of California, and Cal Voices. Those conversations mattered just as much to me as what happened inside the Capitol. Systems change depends on policy, but it also depends on people finding one another, building trust, and recognizing where our priorities intersect.

What stayed with me most was seeing lived experience brought directly into spaces where decisions are made. People closest to an issue often understand its gaps better than anyone. When those experiences connect with shared priorities, relationships, and collective advocacy, they can help shape better systems.

Policy change rarely happens because of one organization, one meeting, or one voice. It happens when communities organize, decision-makers listen, and people keep showing up.

Community voice is powerful. Collective action is how we help move it toward change.

On March 27, 2026, in Long Beach, I had the opportunity to facilitate Frustration to Impact: The Advocacy Blueprint for Systems Change at the Abilities Expo, exploring how the barriers individuals and families face can become catalysts for advocacy, collaboration, and lasting systems change.

A theme emerged throughout the session: frustration is not failure. It can be feedback. It can be data. When enough people experience the same challenge navigating services, access, or information, it often points to opportunities to strengthen systems.

Together, we explored questions such as: What is happening? Who is impacted? Where are decisions made? Advocacy often begins not with having all the answers, but with understanding where change is possible.

The conversation reflected on efforts to improve service coordination and advance awareness through policy and public systems. These examples served as reminders that community voice, persistence, and partnerships can move ideas into action.

One takeaway I hope participants carry forward: you do not need to change an entire system overnight. Sometimes advocacy begins with one frustration, one conversation, and one next step.

Deep gratitude to everyone who joined the discussion and shared experiences navigating complex systems. Change happens when communities continue asking questions and showing up.

Read additional coverage from the Los Angeles County Aging & Disabilities Department here.

In March 2026, Los Angeles formally recognized Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day, illuminated City Hall green, and affirmed that disability is a natural and valuable part of human diversity, and that access, belonging, and participation strengthen communities.

The milestone reflected collaboration among the City of Los Angeles Department on Disability, the offices of Councilmembers Heather Hutt and John Lee, community partners, and Inclusive Sol, which initiated efforts to elevate Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day within the City and has now helped advance two City Hall lightings in green to increase visibility for cerebral palsy and disability communities.

The recognition aligned with the City’s LA For All commitment, affirming that discrimination has no place in Los Angeles and that equity must extend to every community. The resolution emphasized that advancing belonging requires intentional coordination across education, employment, housing, transportation, and public life, so residents with disabilities can fully participate, lead, and shape the future of the City.

One of the most meaningful moments was seeing Elijah Sol, the inspiration behind Inclusive Sol, react to Los Angeles City Hall being illuminated green.

Representation, visibility, and policy are connected. What communities see recognized publicly can influence what becomes possible within systems over time.

The work continues beyond awareness months.

On March 22, 2026, I joined the Angel City Sports Youth Weekend’s panel, EveryBODY Belongs: Adaptive Play, Confidence, and Community, alongside A.J. Munoz-Bond and Joe Holt, moderated by two-time Paralympic gold medalist and Angel City Sports co-founder Ezra Frech.

The conversation centered on something bigger than sports.

Adaptive sports create opportunities for movement, confidence, competition, community, and belonging. For many disabled children and youth, access to athletics and recreation has historically been limited despite the important role participation can play in physical health, social connection, identity, and joy.

One message remained clear throughout the discussion:

The challenge is often not individual ability, but whether environments, programs, and communities were designed with access in mind.

The panel explored how adaptive recreation, inclusive design, and community support can influence opportunities available to young people as they grow.

I have so much love and admiration for Angel City Sports and leaders expanding what participation can look like when access is considered from the beginning rather than added later.

Because every person deserves opportunities to move, play, compete, connect, and belong, exactly as they are.

Cerebral Palsy Family Forum as a panel speaker alongside advocates, self-advocates, and organizations supporting individuals with cerebral palsy and their families across the lifespan. The theme, “CP Grows Up!”, centered on a reality many communities know well: support needs evolve, yet systems do not always evolve alongside them.

The conversation explored navigating fragmented systems, strengthening community, and sharing resources that help make support feel less isolating.

I shared examples of how families, advocates, and communities can turn repeated barriers into collective action, drawing on efforts that contributed to Los Angeles County’s first cerebral palsy motion, the LAUSD World CP Day resolution, and increased visibility of cerebral palsy across public systems. These experiences continue to reinforce a belief that systems become stronger when community voice, persistence, and partnerships help shape them.

Grateful to the organizers, fellow panelists, and keynote speaker Dr. Mark D. Peterson for creating space for conversations across healthcare, advocacy, and community support.

As conversations continue around healthcare, education, employment, and adulthood, perhaps one reminder matters most:

People should spend less time navigating disconnected systems and more time accessing support, information, and community.

“Health is a human right, not a privilege.”

On March 7, 2026, I served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the Women’s Health Symposium hosted by the City of West Hollywood.

The day brought together physicians, advocates, and community leaders to explore preventive care, financial health, menopause, mental health, and personal safety. Beyond the topics themselves, what stood out was the intention behind creating spaces where information, resources, and community feel accessible rather than fragmented.

One idea surfaced repeatedly: people make stronger decisions when they have access to information, trusted relationships, and systems designed to support them.

A meaningful moment was reconnecting with Councilmember John Erickson alongside the World CP Day Proclamation during both Women’s History Month and Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, a reminder that visibility, policy, and community often move forward together.

Thankful to the City, the Women’s Advisory Board, and all who contributed to a thoughtful day centered on health, access, and collective well-being.

On October 6, 2025, communities around the world recognized World Cerebral Palsy Day, honoring more than 50 million people living with CP. In Los Angeles, the day also marked one year since LAUSD adopted the World CP Day resolution, a partnership between Board Member Scott Schmerelson’s office and Inclusive Sol.

The resolution advances awareness through educator training, inclusive practices, and opportunities that help students with disabilities participate, belong, and thrive.

This year, that vision came to life at my son Elijah’s school: green bracelets, conversations about inclusion, and small moments demonstrating how awareness can become culture.

Watching a sea of green bracelets at dismissal was a reminder that inclusion grows through everyday actions, not only policy.

As we move forward, may we continue creating schools and communities where every child is seen, supported, and celebrated.

On August 8, 2025, I had the privilege of facilitating a keynote session at Total Education Solutions’ all-staff kickoff meeting for more than 120 therapists, educators, counselors, psychologists, and administrators.

Together, we explored what connection, collaboration, and community look like in practice. The energy in the room reflected something powerful: meaningful work grows when people reconnect to purpose.

TES staff arrived with expertise, compassion, creativity, and a shared commitment to supporting the growth and independence of individuals of all abilities.

Following the session, Jacklin Pfaff, Regional Director of Therapy and Education Services, reflected that it created “meaningful engagement across a diverse group.” Her feedback reinforced something I continue to see across organizations: connection strengthens collaboration, and collaboration strengthens impact.

To the TES team, thank you for the care and commitment you bring to your communities. Let’s continue creating spaces where people feel connected, valued, and supported.