There are successful politicians with disabilities including Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. Based on their paths to leadership, what are some attributes that aspiring disabled leaders can learn from?
I believe both Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley exemplify what it means to be effective disabled persons who are also elected to office. Their disabilities don't define them; they are a part of their respective lived experiences that allow for them to govern with a disability praxis and thereby making the country accessible for all.
Can you tell us about some of the partnerships DV has formed and how those have furthered its work?
We are grateful to have partnerships with Run for Something, League of Conservation Voters, New Disabled South, and Movement Voter Project. Their repeated investments in Disability Victory, as well as our collaborations on events and programming, have helped further Disability Victory’s visibility and impact. For example, we partnered with ActBlue to train candidates on the essential fundraising skills they need to succeed as candidates and campaign staff. We also partnered with the League of Conservation Voters to talk about the intersection of disability rights and climate change, as well as disability-inclusive emergency management. We have continued to educate our partners in progressive and movement organizations on how they can make their spaces more accessible and inclusive to people with disabilities, including addressing myths and truths about accessibility and sharing best practices on social media accessibility. We have interviewed disabled candidates, campaign staff, and elected officials about their experiences on the campaign trail, and learned their best practices for canvassing with a disability.
When you look back, what are some of your greatest accomplishments? And what still needs to be done?
One of my greatest accomplishments includes helping to elect leaders who will make an immediate impact on the communities that they represent. I am a believer in a representative democracy that helps to elect leaders who share the lived experiences of the communities they represent.
Is there anything you would like to add?
We conducted a 2025 priorities survey indicating that disabled progressives are interested in pushing back against the current administration’s policies at all levels with direct action and by lobbying elected officials. Our respondents ranked affordable and accessible housing, disability rights laws, health care access, Social Security and Medicaid, and reproductive justice as top priorities in 2025. However, there was interest in every policy area that we listed, and respondents listed many of their own topics, from stopping mask bans to ensuring fresh food accessibility.
