WITH believes that people with disabilities are disability experts.
That’s why we are very proud of our Self-Advocate Advisory Committee and for the value each member adds to our organization. The committee reviews the proposals that the Foundation receives and provides input on whether or not applicants should receive funding, and whether a proposal is designed well for people with disabilities.
We’re excited to announce we added two new members to the committee and that we have a new committee chair!
Returning Committee Members
Image Description: A smiling light skinned female with short auburn hair wearing large rimmed glasses and light green shirt.
KATIE MURPHY – SAAC Committee Chair
Daly City, CA
Katie Murphy (M.A., Women and Gender Studies) is an autistic self-advocate, higher education professional, and freelance audio describer. An alum of the Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) Leadership Academy, Katie uses her institutional privilege to engage directly with funders, serving on the WITH Foundation’s Self-Advocacy Advisory Board and the Stakeholder Advisory Group of Ability Central (formerly Disability Communications Fund). In connection with her career in higher education, she serves as a member of San Francisco State University’s All-University Committee on Students, Faculty, and Staff with Disabilities, and as a union steward and chapter officer for the California State University Employees Union. As an undergraduate and graduate student, Katie researched film and television’s depiction of disability in relation to gender, race, and sexuality. She’s translated that academic training into writing freelance audio description that foregrounds social context, and serving on the jury for Superfest International Disability Film Festival. She lives on the Peninsula.
A light skinned person with glasses and short brown hair wearing a grey jacket, grey shirt and plaid tie.
IVANOVA SMITH
Tacoma, WA
Ivanova Smith is a leader in advocacy in Washington State. They are currently the Co-chair of Self-Advocates in Leadership (SAIL), a legislature advocacy organization run by self-advocates. They are currently a part of UW LEND Faculty. They are very passionate about medical advocacy for people with I/DD. Ivanova is excited to share their perspectives as an autistic person to help make the medical community more inclusive to our care.
A smiling light brown skinned female with black hair pulled back wearing glasses,a white shirt and dark sweater.
YOLANDA VARGAS
Rancho Cordova, CA
Yolanda Vargas has dedicated her life to helping people in marginalized communities. She is a part of Y. O.! Disabled & Proud! She believes in fighting ignorance with information and understanding. Society shouldn’t just “tolerate” people with different backgrounds, but celebrate them and make sure that they have equal opportunities to participate in the things that affect them. Yolanda hopes to show people with all types of disabilities that self-advocacy is the key to creating a more inclusive society. Our voices matter, it’s time we start using them.
A light skinned male with a trimmed grey beard wearing a baseball cap and black t-shirt.
BRENT WHITE
Albany, CA
Brent White is Autistic, dyslexic and otherwise Neurodivergent. He designs and directs adult programs for intellectually and developmentally disabled adults for the non-profit Ala Costa Center in Berkeley, California. He is passionate about advocacy and all aspects of Neurodivergent Culture.
New Members
A smiling light skinned female with short black hair wearing a black shirt.
REBECA AGUIRRE
Torrance, CA
Shortly after starting at a “regular” high school Rebeca began struggling with uncontrollable mood swings. She would start crying for no reason, then feel indestructible– believing that everyone was conspiring against her. She dealt with these feelings and episodes for over 30 years. “Surely that many people with Developmental Disabilities as well as Intellectual Disabilities have had similar situations in their own lives growing up”, says Rebeca, “A person just wants to be seen merely as a person, certainly not the sum of their disability.”
A light skinned female with shoulder length brown hair wearing a bright blue shirt.
KECIA WELLER
Santa Monica, CA
Ms. Weller is an accomplished disability rights and a sexual assault awareness and prevention advocate that has worked in the field for more than 20 years. Her current advocacy work is with the California State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) and the UCLA Tarjan Center. She was on the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she worked with colleagues to create the popular PSA: Abuse of People with Disabilities: A Silent Epidemic at https://youtu.be/yhLsATwO0o4 (over 15,700 views!) Ms. Weller is fond of mentoring other people with disabilities to be outstanding leaders in the civil rights movements for disabilities.
Learn more about WITH’s Self Advocacy Advisory Committee here.