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Nicole LeBlanc, Maryland
2021 National APSE Board of Directors At-Large Candidate
How many years have you been involved in integrated employment/supported employment?
14 years
The area(s) that best represents your current position/experience:
Advocate, Person with a Disability
Describe your history/nature of involvement/interest in integrated employment/supported employment.
I am a seasoned disability rights activist who has worked on numerous policy issues at the state and federal level. I am the author of the toolkit Disability Employment Policy 101a project that I completed during my time at NDRN as a SARTAC Fellow. I am actively engaged in the push to end 14c and end the SSDI cash cliff as someone who has experienced challenges in SSDI. I am also an active member of the APSE public policy committee and I dream of a day when subminimum wage and benefits cliffs are eliminated. I have also done numerous presentations on employment topics.
How will you be able to contribute to the growth and improvement of APSE as an organization?
As a self-advocate I can spread the word about action alerts on CIE and speak to why we need CIE for all, No one is too disabled to live and work in the community. I can also assist with fundraising by bringing creative fundraiser ideas to the table. In the Era of COVID I can advocate for innovative ideas like getting more PWD Work from home jobs.
Biography
Nicole LeBlanc has a keen ability and interest in public policy and excels at communicating the needs of people with developmental disabilities to public officials. In 2018 Nicole graduated the VT LEND program. Nicole is a natural leader chosen by her peers by speaking the truth to power. Nicole did the Dr Ruth Sullivan and SARTAC- fellowship. She created a booklet on advocating for policies that promote Real Jobs for Real Pay. In 2019 Nicole joined HSRI as the coordinator PAL-Group coordinator for NCAPPS. In 2019 Nicole won the David Joyce Advocate of the Year award.
In Oct 2020 Nicole presented at Inclusion Works conference on “Turning Challenge into opportunity getting People with I/DD work from home jobs in light of COVID19
Nicole joined TASH in Dec as the Self Advocate Advisor for the AOD Employment TA grant.
Her Motto is Control Your Own Destiny or Someone Else Will.