With gratitude and a humble heart, I present myself, my name is Nakia S. Wiley, M.S, I am a native to Chicago Illinois (South-side). My pronouns are, she, her, hers, and I identify as Black-disabled woman and sometimes I get angry. I have served in education since 1999 in various capacities and lands. I am a wife, mother, grandmother, and community advocate. I am the Coordinator of Professional Learning for Madison Metropolitan School District. I accepted the call at MMSD in the summer of 2016 as a Cross Categorical Teacher and I continue to serve  with joy and gladness. I am dedicated to supporting marginalized children and families so they can achieve their dreams, goals, and aspirations. 

Kate Moran has been inspired by Beachtree the disabled lesbian land collective,The Women's Braille Press, other women at DART and the periodicals Dyke, Disability and Stuff and the Madness Network News.  I joined the DPM board the first year and have been with it long enough to be given "The Relentless Badger Award" from the Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers (WCILC). I credit my work with Disability Pride Madison for making me comfortable in my own skin as a disabled person whose disabilities are not always apparent. It has also brought many wonderful people into my life.

Jason Glozier is currently the Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin State Independent Living Council. Having a brother who has Cerebral Palsy, Jason grew up in a family where disability is a natural part of life. In 1990, his parents got involved with a disability rights group known then as Americans with Disabilities for Accessible Public Transportation (ADAPT) and Jason was exposed to a community where people with and without disabilities organize and commit civil disobedience together toward a model of inclusion and equality. Jason is one of the founders of the festival.

Katie Sullivan (she/her/hers) is a disabled organizer and health equity and linguistics student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Committed to Disability Justice, mobilizing for equitable change, and cultivating inclusive networks of care, she serves as a student intern and coalition member for the UW Disability Cultural Center, a City of Madison Disability Rights Commissioner, and an active member in her community. Engaging with critical disability studies and reframing harmful narratives surrounding disability are primary foci for Sullivan, and she integrates these practices within and beyond the disability activism circles.  

Helen Rottier (she/her) is the Program Coordinator of the Disability Cultural Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD candidate in Disability Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is multiply disabled and identifies with the autistic, mad, and chronically ill communities. Her work explores disabled knowledge production in and beyond academia, and she is enthusiastic about snail mail and soap operas. 

I am a former investment management professional turned elementary educator and disability advocate. I have a passion for supporting neurodivergent students in the general education environment, especially multi-modal communicators and/or gestalt language processors (GLPs). I work closely with a team of NLA practitioners and educators in learning about and collaborating world-wide the most innovative approaches in supporting and honoring GLPs in the general education and homeschool environments....and beyond.

Rebecca Unverzagt (she/her) is a disabled Banking Center Manager for Old National Bank, where she serves as the Market Co-Lead for the Wisconsin chapter of the Abilities First Impact Network. She is also a student pursuing her master’s degree in organizational leadership and education with a focus on inclusivity in learning and business. During her time with Madison Area Technical College, Rebecca served as the President of the honor society for students with disabilities (Delta Alpha Pi) and VP of Leadership for the honor society for 2-year colleges, Phi Theta Kappa. Rebecca is passionate about educating others on the power and benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace, as well as acceptance of all disabilities, both visible and invisible.  In her free time, Rebecca enjoys gaming with her partner, watching sports (most of all hockey), attending live concerts, and spoiling her pets. 

Rebekah Rodriguez (she/her) is a disabled, queer, Hispanic American woman from East-Central Florida. She is a Research Specialist at the Waisman Center of UW-Madison and volunteer with multiple disability advocacy organizations like Arts for All Wisconsin and Arc Dane County in addition to Disability Pride Madison. She is pursuing a Masters in Public Policy with plans to focus on disability issues. Outside of work and school, Rebekah loves to run, watch hockey, and see live music.