My professional life as an advocate for social change with and on behalf of individuals who identify as disabled spans more than three decades. I have recently retired from Cornell University, where I spent almost 25 years working on system change/system impact initiatives aimed at promoting the full inclusion of people pushed to the margins of society because of disability or other negatively perceived difference.
In 2010, I created the landmark Citizen-Centered Leadership Development (CCLD), Community of Practice, a 15-week intensive course of study as a way to support a theory-to-practice approach to shaping and shifting stigmatizing personal and social perceptions surrounding disability. Currently, I am leading the Citizen Network Cooperative within Citizen Network to expand and deepen access to CCLD's resources and to build active communities of practice around the world.
I see the work of CCLD serving as a “hub” for a global village of active members who are intent on co-designing and implementing opportunities that lead to the full expression and experience of citizenship for all. I whole-heartedly believes that integrating the Citizen-Centered Leadership Development curriculum squarely within the Citizen Network International community creates an ideal platform for elevating stories of positive social change in people’s lives and in their communities. I invite and welcome you to imagine how you can utilize CCLD ideas and resources to positively shape and change your corner of the world....to a world where everyone matters and everyone belongs.
