Leadership Beyond Labels

I'm writing about something that’s been on my mind lately, because it’s showing up again. Recently, there have been comments questioning whether people with disabilities can or should serve in the highest levels of leadership. And when someone questions the capability of any person with a disability, it lands on the entire disability community. The message tells millions of people, “Leadership isn’t for you.”

It’s Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and I can’t be silent. In honor of those I serve, those I care deeply for, those I work with, those I don’t  know, those that have come before me to fight for true equality and belonging… I want to say clearly: this is simply not true.

I’ve spent more than thirty years working alongside people with disabilities and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: disability does not diminish intelligence, leadership, or the ability to make decisions. People with disabilities learn, communicate, and navigate the world in many different ways. Those differences don’t limit what someone can do. They’re simply part of the natural diversity of how human minds and bodies work.

And here’s something most people don’t know: Developmental Disabilities Councils are built on the belief that lived experience is essential to strong leadership.

Federal law requires that no less than 60% of every Council be made up of people with developmental disabilities and their family members. That means the majority of our leadership comes directly from the people most affected by disability policy. Their voices guide our priorities. Their experiences shape our understanding. Their leadership is not symbolic. It is structural.

And it works.

I’ve watched our Council members ask sharper questions, give insights, and bring more wisdom than many people who have spent their entire careers in policy. Why? Because lived experience is a form of expertise. It’s a way of knowing the world that you can’t learn from a textbook or a work memo.

The United States Constitution even speaks to fairness. The Fourteenth Amendment says that no state may “deny to any person the equal protection of the laws.” In plain language, that means everyone deserves to be treated fairly, and no one should be excluded from public life because of who they are or how they function.

But when someone makes comments that disability is not suited for leadership, it reinforces old stereotypes that people with disabilities have fought for generations to overcome.

So let me offer a different picture of leadership.

Leadership is not about having a typical brain. It’s not about learning the same way everyone else does. It’s not about speaking perfectly or processing information in one style.

Leadership is about judgment. It’s about values. It’s about collaboration. It’s about the ability to build a strong team.

And those qualities are not limited to one type of learner, communicator, or thinker.

People with disabilities are already leading. They serve in public office. They run organizations. They teach, parent, innovate, and shape our communities. They bring creativity, resilience, and lived experiences that make public life better.

And here’s the truth, I’ve yet to meet a person whose value could be measured in how quickly they read, how well they speak, or how they learn. I have met people whose leadership shows up in courage, compassion, and lived experience and this is the type of leadership we need.

So, the next time someone asks, “Who belongs in leadership?” I hope you’ll remember this: Leadership isn’t about having one kind of mind. It’s about having a mind that cares.

And that means every one of us. Every kind of thinker, learner, and communicator belongs in the conversation about our future.