Disability Lead

VISION: People with disabilities will lead with power and influence for full participation and equal opportunity as a vital part of the civic fabric in the Chicago region. MISSION: To increase civic engagement and diverse leadership in the Chicago region by developing and building a network of leaders with disabilities — consistent with the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disability Lead pursues its vision with a voracious belief that creating a more equitable and inclusive society matters and is an obligation of everyone. Disability is a natural part of the human experience. Disability exists in every facet of society including in immigrant communities, in Black and Brown communities, in LGBTQIA+ communities, in Indigenous Communities and every community in between. While the Americans with Disabilities Act affirmed the rights of people with disabilities, we work with the understanding that we will only be an equitable and inclusive society when we achieve true disability justice. Disability justice is a cross-disability and cross-social justice movement that centers intersectional identities led by those who have been most impacted by systemic oppression. It insists that our worth is inherent and tied to the liberation of all people. In 2015, over 200 Chicagoland groups convened by The Chicago Community Trust celebrated and leveraged the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA 25 Chicago identified the pressing need to address the lack of disability representation at the region’s tables of power and influence. A Leadership Institute was created to build a deeper bench of leaders with disabilities to serve on task forces, boards, commissions, and other roles. After a successful pilot, the initiative evolved into ADA 25 Advancing Leadership initially incubated at The Chicago Community Trust. In 2019, ADA 25 Advancing Leadership was established as an independent 501c3 and in 2021 rebranded to Disability Lead.