Simone Till
Simone Till is a Philanthropy/Development Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]
Chanel Keenan
Chanel Keenan (she/her) is a Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]
Steven McCoy
Steven McCoy is an Entertainment and News Media Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]
Angela Molloy
Angela Molloy is a Faith Inclusion and Belonging Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]
Madeleine Hutchins
Madeleine Hutchins (she/they) is a Faith Inclusion and Belonging Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
Hutchins completed their B.A. in philosophy at Yale University focusing on bioethics and wrote a thesis titled “Dignity, Dementia, and Decision-Making.” They then completed a Master of Arts in Religion at Yale Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music, Worship, and the Arts, where they focused on the power of story and completed a thesis titled “Language and Lament: Story Medicine in Madeline Sayet’s Where We Belong.” Hutchins is an active member of her Mohegan community and spends a great deal of time learning about Mohegan culture, language, lifeways, and history. Hutchins worked as an educator at the Tantaquidgeon Museum—the oldest Native American owned and operated museum in the U.S.—and has worked with several institutions of higher education on matters related to Indigenous people. She’s had the privilege of collaborating on various Indigenous storytelling projects since 2015, including an anthology of young Native writers published in 2021. Hutchins has also trained as a hospital chaplain and is training as a death doula. Her learning from various sources over time coupled with the experience of her own disability and passion for envisioning and pursuing a better world have led her to access advocacy.
Hutchins enjoys cooking (and eating), watching TV, listening to podcasts, crafting, writing, walking, plants, and spending time with loved ones and with her partner, Kaiser. Hutchins is driven by the conviction that a better world is within our reach, we just need enough courage to go for it.
Kaylee Harris
Kaylee Harris is a Policy and Civic Engagement Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
Harris enlisted in the United States Navy immediately following her high school graduation, serving in Damneck, Virginia. After her enlistment, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Educational Psychology. Her thesis focused on Twice Exceptional students and the lack of support they receive in the classroom. Her research focused on students with disabilities and the lack of proper training given to teachers. Harris then went on to teach elementary education in Texas, Hawaii, and Iowa. Her current focus is on the higher education space. She has been working with community colleges in both Iowa and Nebraska while also continuing to support children with IEP’s (Individualized Education Plans) and their families as an IEP Advocate. Her work in community colleges ranges from teaching to working within student services. Her most recent role was the Director of Academic Support. In that role, she oversaw various departments including tutoring, the library, testing centers, the veteran’s center, and disability services.
Harris hopes to someday advance education and accessibility policies to ensure that disabled students of all ages not only have access to an education, but also that educational institutions provide an equitable educational experience without underestimating their students or creating unnecessary barriers to accommodations.
Frank Liang
Frank Liang is an Entertainment and News Media Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
In 2016, Liang became a quadriplegic at age 20 from a diving incident resulting in a spinal cord injury in his C3-C4 vertebrae. After a year of rehab at Craig Hospital in Colorado, Liang returned to college, first attending Mt. San Antonio College before transferring to California State University, Fullerton, and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Television Arts in May 2023. Liang is an aspiring filmmaker and producer. He hopes to meet like-minded and creative individuals to make films with.
At RespectAbility, Liang hopes to learn more about disability advocacy and accessibility. He would also like to learn more about raising awareness for disability inclusivity because he hopes to create more inclusive environments for all. In his free time, Liang enjoys watching and discovering new classic and foreign movies. He also likes watching anime, reading books, and reading manga as well as collecting sneakers and vinyl records.
Jessica Hetzel
Jessica Hetzel (she/her) is an Operations/Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]
