I Didn’t Choose This Work—I Lived It”

I didn’t enter this field because I was interested in policy. I entered it because I’ve lived the gaps.

I’ve experienced firsthand what it takes to find, understand, and stay connected to services—and how much advocating is often required just to get basic needs met. That experience shaped how I see this work. It’s not abstract to me. It’s personal.

Lived Experience

My connection to this work is rooted in lived experience with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). I’ve navigated services as a caregiver, and I’ve also worked as an employer of people with IDD.

These perspectives—both personal and professional—have given me a deeper understanding of what access really requires, and where it often breaks down.

What I Saw During the Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, that understanding deepened even further.

I worked closely with marginalized communities, helping people access services at a time when everything became harder to reach. Offices were closed, processes changed, and information was constantly shifting. What may have already been difficult became overwhelming for many.

I saw how quickly people could become disconnected—not because services didn’t exist, but because accessing them required time, persistence, and support that not everyone had.

“People don’t fall through the cracks—they get stuck trying to navigate what wasn’t built for them.”

What Drives My Work

That experience reinforced something I had already begun to understand: access is not automatic.

It requires guidance, follow-through, and often someone who can help navigate the process alongside you.

As an Access & Equity Strategist, I focus on how services are actually experienced in real life—especially for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and marginalized communities.

I pay attention to the everyday barriers: unclear information, complicated processes, missed follow-ups, and the expectation that individuals will navigate it all on their own.

What Access Really Means

Over time, I’ve come to see that improving access isn’t just about offering more services.

It’s about making sure people can actually use what already exists—and that they are supported throughout the process.

Access isn’t just about what’s available.
It’s about what people can actually reach, understand, and use in their everyday lives.