<\/span><\/h3>\nThe newly appointed Board members bring a wealth of cross-sector experience that aligns with the organization\u2019s mission to foster environments where individuals with disabilities can thrive.<\/p>\nHerman Lehman joins the board with over three decades of experience in community and economic development. His background in municipal government, including his tenure as a city councilmember and treasurer in Alabama, provides the Board with critical insight into local policy-making and public-private partnerships. His role as co-founder of Keys to the City Community Coaching, LLC, suggests an emphasis on sustainable, grassroots growth strategies, which are essential for driving local accessibility initiatives.<\/p>\n
Kiara Stohlman represents the technology sector\u2019s growing focus on neurodiversity and accessibility. As the Senior Lead of Belonging and Well-being for Kyndryl, Stohlman\u2019s work focuses on the integration of inclusive technologies. Her expertise is particularly relevant in the current digital landscape, where the enforcement of WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and the development of assistive technologies are no longer optional "add-ons" but core components of digital corporate responsibility.<\/p>\n
Jevon Thoresen contributes an extensive background in talent acquisition and organizational culture. His nine-year tenure at LinkedIn, specifically within the Equity product team, positions him as a subject matter expert in bias reduction and skills-based hiring. By focusing on the removal of barriers in the labor market, Thoresen\u2019s appointment aligns with the broader organizational goal of ensuring that economic opportunity is not limited by a person\u2019s disability status.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The Advisory Council: Strengthening Strategic Capacity<\/span><\/h3>\nBeyond the Board, the addition of eleven new Advisory Council members marks a significant boost in the organization\u2019s intellectual capital. The cohort includes Angel Ponce, Carla Anderton, Dr. Cameo Green Coleman, Maura Danehey, Michael Tyler Evola, Craig Foster, Ben McBride, Davina Patterson, John Petrous, Shalanda Pinder, and Allison Roper.<\/p>\n
This group has been tasked with providing guidance on policy, cultural change, and partnership development. By diversifying the advisory board, Disability Belongs\u00ae is better equipped to navigate the nuances of diverse sectors, ranging from education and healthcare to public policy and corporate governance.<\/p>\n<\/span>Contextualizing the Need for Inclusive Leadership<\/span><\/h3>\nThe expansion of Disability Belongs\u00ae arrives at a critical juncture in the global discourse on disability rights. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.3 billion people\u2014approximately 16% of the global population\u2014experience significant disability. Despite this, representation at the board level and within executive leadership remains disproportionately low.<\/p>\n
Research from various diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) think tanks indicates that organizations with disability-inclusive leadership are more likely to achieve "innovation premiums." When accessibility is baked into the foundational design of products and services, companies see higher employee retention and broader customer reach. By formalizing these new appointments, Disability Belongs\u00ae is positioning itself to lead the conversation on how organizations can shift from passive compliance to proactive inclusion.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Official Responses and Organizational Vision<\/span><\/h3>\nKhadija Bari, Chair of the Board of Directors, emphasized that these appointments are not merely administrative updates but a "pivotal step" in the organization’s mission. "Together, we are not only advancing conversations, but we are driving action, shaping policy, and creating spaces where every individual is empowered to thrive," Bari noted in her official statement.<\/p>\n
Ariel Simms, President and Chief Executive Officer, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the caliber of the new members. "Their leadership reflects our commitment to excellence and innovation as we continue to advance disability inclusion through policy and cultural change," Simms stated. The internal enthusiasm suggests a unified front as the organization moves toward its next set of milestones.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Analysis of Implications<\/span><\/h3>\nThe ripple effects of these appointments are expected to manifest in several key areas over the next fiscal year:<\/p>\n\nPolicy Advocacy:<\/strong> With Lehman\u2019s municipal expertise, the organization is likely to increase its influence on local and state-level accessibility legislation, pushing for standards that go beyond the minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).<\/li>\nTechnological Integration:<\/strong> Stohlman\u2019s influence will likely accelerate the organization\u2019s efforts to advocate for the ethical use of AI in accessibility tools, ensuring that emerging technologies do not inadvertently create new digital barriers.<\/li>\nTalent Equity:<\/strong> Thoresen\u2019s background suggests that the organization may launch new initiatives aimed at corporate talent pipelines, helping businesses implement skills-based hiring practices that explicitly include candidates with disabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThe expansion of the Board and Advisory Council is a calculated effort to institutionalize disability inclusion. By bringing in experts who understand the mechanics of city government, corporate HR, and technology, Disability Belongs\u00ae is signaling that it intends to be a permanent fixture in the strategic planning of institutions across the United States.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Conclusion<\/span><\/h3>\nThe infusion of new talent into the Disability Belongs\u00ae leadership structure represents a sophisticated maturation of the organization. As the nonprofit sector faces increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable outcomes, the reliance on high-level expertise in policy and systems design is a logical and necessary evolution. As the new Directors and Advisors begin their tenures, the focus will likely remain on translating high-level vision into actionable, scalable policy that improves the daily lives of the millions of people the organization aims to serve. The coming months will be a crucial test for the organization to demonstrate how this enhanced leadership team can successfully navigate the complexities of modern-day accessibility challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On September 2nd, the nonprofit organization Disability Belongs\u00ae officially announced a significant expansion of its leadership infrastructure, welcoming three new members to its Board of Directors and eleven new experts to its Advisory Council. This strategic broadening of the organization\u2019s governance and advisory capabilities signals a shift toward a more multi-disciplinary approach to addressing the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[311,1824,1825,805,1822,1823,73,60,276,746,6,250,62,186,61,1192],"newstopic":[],"class_list":["post-6116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disability-support-independent-living","tag-advance","tag-advisory","tag-appointments","tag-belongs","tag-bench","tag-board","tag-disability","tag-disability-support","tag-expands","tag-inclusion","tag-independent-living","tag-leadership","tag-mobility","tag-national","tag-special-needs","tag-standards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6116"},{"taxonomy":"newstopic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homecares.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fnewstopic&post=6116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}