WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, July 25th, the White House will honor Lydia Brown as one of eight “Champions of Change” who embody the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This next generation of leaders for the disability community represents the progress that has been made as a result of the ADA and the continued struggle for full equality. They are advocates, role models and true champions for their cause. Already extraordinarily accomplished, they epitomize the type of innovative thinking, optimism and energy of the next generation of civil rights leaders.
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“Lydia Brown is being honored as a Champions of Change illustrating the continuation of disability rights movement’s vitality and bright future. She brings a fresh perspective and a new set of experiences that will continue to invigorate the push for full social and economic equality,” said Paulette Aniskoff, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement. |
The White House Champions of Change program was created as part of President Obama’s “Winning the Future” Initiative. Through this program, the White House highlights individuals, businesses, and organizations whose extraordinary stories and accomplishments positively impact our communities.
To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 12:30 pm ET on July 25th. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a Champion, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.
Lydia Brown
Melrose, MA
Lydia Brown is an Autistic and multiply-disabled disability rights activist, scholar, and writer. She is currently interning at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia in conjunction with the American Association of People with Disabilities summer internship program. She will be returning to the staff of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network as a Project Assistant this fall to continue her work in a variety of areas of disability policy.
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Lydia currently serves as Undersecretary for Disability Affairs at Georgetown University’s student government executive branch, where she is developing a comprehensive no wrong door policy to enhance access to resources for disabled students, providing technical assistance on web accessibility for the student government website, and also working to establish, develop, and sustain a Disability Cultural Center on campus. She is a member of the Board of Directors of TASH New England, the National Council on Independent Living Youth Caucus, and the Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Consumer Advisory Council. |
Lydia was the 2012 Patricia Morrissey Disability Policy Fellow at the Institute for Educational Leadership, where she worked on a project on customized employment for people with the most significant disabilities. She previously interned with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, where she also attended the inaugural Autism Campus Inclusion summer leadership academy. In 2011, Lydia served on the Adult Services Subcommittee of the Massachusetts Special Commission Relative to Autism, where she provided recommendations on autism and criminal justice related to legislation she has written, which has been filed in three consecutive sessions of the state legislature. She regularly speaks on disability rights activism, radical disability justice, and disabled cultural identity at conferences and universities across the country.