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.

“I fight for inclusive education. I am part of this work because every student is unique and is deserving of a Public Education that is built to accommodate their individual needs.”  

Martha S. and her daughter Jasmine are from Madison, Wisconsin. Martha is a single mother who is very involved in Jasmine’s education. She is president of the mother-led organization, Madtown Mommas & Disability Advocates. Martha is a well-known community leader and has been Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin 2020/21. She is now becoming state co-coordinator of the Wisconsin Ms. Wheelchair Program.  Because Martha sustained a spinal cord injury back in 2002 and uses a manual wheelchair, prior to last year she would not have been able to access Jasmine’s classroom on the second floor to volunteer or assist when Jasmine had epileptic seizures if not for an elevator that was installed 3 years ago.  Martha has been a tireless advocate for access and programming that complies with state and federal laws, while always encouraging folks to move beyond the required baseline.

I am originally from Dane County, and currently live south of Madison with my wife, Heather, and my two daughters, Ella, and Ilana. I serve as the executive director of Access to Independence, which is a disability-led and run organization. As a person with a mental health and substance use disabilities, having an opportunity to come together as a community is what I love about the Disability Pride Festival. I was able to support and volunteer the very first event in Madison, and I am thrilled to be able to be involved again this year.

I am a 42 year old woman.  I’ve always identified as a strong, outspoken force, an athlete, coach, teacher, an active person. When I was diagnosed with MS in 2009 and my physical abilities started to decline, I lost some of that identity. I found the UW adaptive fitness program and the Madison SCI group where I was surrounded by people who were DOING, LIVING and EMBRACING their abilities! Through this I recognized that I was still the same person! Although my body had changed, I was able to adapt! I started participating in adapted cross country, down hill and water skiing, kayaking, rock climbing, sled hockey and martial arts! I have reestablished my identity! 

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.  

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. 

Rebecca Hoyt is proud to be Neurodivergent and passionate about building a more inclusive, more accessible, and more just Madison. She is committed to celebrating diversity and representing the disability community with pride.  Rebecca holds a Bachelor’s degree with a double concentration in sociology and psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. She is currently attending California State University- Long Beach to obtain her Master’s in Public Administration.  She has 18+ years of experience working to preserve and advance educational and employment opportunities of people with disabilities through research, policy analysis, advocacy, and coalition building. She currently works with Department of Civil Rights - Equity and Social Justice Division elevating disability access and inclusion in City programs and services and working closely with the Disability Rights Commission to ensure Disabled people have representation in City government.

Jim Turk is a public speaker, writer, disability vote coalition member and activist, and advocate for positivity and its relation to health and productivity. He has a Masters degree in Biotechnology and is the Former Director of Biosafety at UW-Madison. Jim is also a former marathon runner and musician. He is known for having started the “twelve o’clock shakedown “ - a daily music and movement program on Facebook and zoom at the beginning of the quarantine. He stopped doing it recently, but others keep it going. He also holds many community positions: Chair of Government Relations Advisory Committee (MS Society Wisconsin), Chair of Walk MS Madison, and member of nationwide panel addressing insurance changes and how it could affect people dependent on life-saving but expensive drugs. In 2019 he was the Wisconsin MS Society Activist of the year. Currently he also facilitates drum circles for people of all abilities through Arts for All.