Mark Seifarth

Center for Disability Empowerment Launches Nationwide Search for New Executive Director – Deadline June 13

The Center for Disability Empowerment Launches Search for New Executive Director

COLUMBUS, OH — The Center for Disability Empowerment (CDE) announced the launch of a nationwide search for its next Executive Director. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting independent living and equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities, CDE seeks a dynamic, visionary leader to guide its mission into the future. 

Founded on the principles of the Independent Living Movement, CDE has served as a vital resource and advocate for people with disabilities in Central Ohio and beyond. The incoming Executive Director will play a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction, cultivating partnerships, securing funding, and amplifying the voices of the disability community. 

“The CDE Board of Directors is incredibly proud of the impactful work Sue has done with the agency and wish her a joyful and well-deserved retirement,” said Courtney Kimbrough, President of the Board of Directors. “We also look forward with great excitement to the future as we begin the search for our next Executive Director.” 

The ideal candidate will bring a strong commitment to disability justice, demonstrated leadership in nonprofit or public service sectors, and experience in organizational management, advocacy, and community engagement. Lived experience with disability is strongly encouraged and valued. 

CDE invites qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply. The search is being conducted in by the Center for Disability’s Board of Directors. Interested individuals can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to CDE_HR@disabilityempowerment.net. 

As CDE embarks on this next chapter, the organization remains steadfast in its mission: to ensure that people with disabilities have the tools, resources, and support to live independently and participate fully in their communities. 

About the Center for Disability Empowerment
The Center for Disability Empowerment is a community-based, nonprofit organization operated by and for people with disabilities. CDE is dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to lead self-directed lives, advocate for their rights, and participate fully in society. 

Job Posting Announcement: Executive Director at the Center for Disability Empowerment (CDE) 

Location: Columbus, Ohio 

The Center for Disability Empowerment (CDE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the independence and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Our mission is to advocate for disability rights, promote independence, and create positive change in the lives of individuals and their communities. CDE works to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the resources and support they need to thrive. We are looking for an Executive Director to lead our dynamic team and help us continue our vital work in the community. 

The Executive Director position offers a salary of up to $80,000 per year based on experience, with paid holidays annually and a generous amount of sick and vacation time. Lived experience with disability is a required qualification. Interviews will take place in June and July, with the position set to begin on October 1. 

Key Responsibilities:

1. Leadership and Collaboration with the Board of Directors

  • Ensure that CDE consistently operates in alignment with its mission and vision.
  • Foster a productive partnership with the Board of Directors to strengthen CDE’s capacity and impact.
  • Keep the Board fully informed about organizational performance, key issues, and external opportunities.
  • Collaborate with the Board to annually review and adjust the strategic plan.
  • Attend all board meetings unless otherwise directed.

2. Operational Management and Team Leadership

  • Cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with vendors, community partners, funders and individual donors.
  • Oversee negotiations with contractors and external partners.
  • Manage and empower CDE’s staff, creating an inclusive and respectful workplace that reflects diverse cultural values.
  • Monitor the quality of all programs and services to ensure they align with CDE’s mission and are achieving high levels of client satisfaction.
  • Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations regarding operations and records.

3. Financial Stewardship and Fundraising

  • Lead the development of the annual budget in collaboration with Board committees.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with public and private funders.
  • Identify and lead the development of new funding proposals and opportunities.
  • Ensure that the required funding reporting practices and deadlines are being followed.
  • Ensure that financial controls are in place, and CDE complies with nonprofit accounting and reporting standards.
  • Oversee the branding and marketing strategies to enhance CDE’s public presence.

4. Advocacy and Public Engagement

  • Build and maintain relationships with local, state and national disability advocacy organizations.
  • Strengthen and expand CDE’s reputation as a leader in Independent Living and disability advocacy across targeted regions (Franklin, Delaware, Union and Licking, Ohio counties).
  • Lead the development and coordination of events, workshops, publications and the agency website.
  • Serve as the primary spokesperson for CDE, advocating for its mission and values.

Education and Experience

  • Required: Lived experience with disability.
  • Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) in Nonprofit Management, Business Administration, Social Services or related field.
  • Minimum of 5 years of senior leadership experience in nonprofit management, with proven success in strategic planning, operations, and staff development.
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with innovative approach to business planning and program development.

Additional Qualifications

  • Experience working with and reporting to a Board of Directors
  • Proven leadership in fundraising, including grant writing and donor relations
  • Excellent public speaking and advocacy skills
  • A deep understanding of the Independent Living philosophy and Disability Social justice principles

Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter to CDE_HR@disabilityempowerment.net  by June 13th, 2025. 

http://www.disabilityempowerment.net/about-us/execpost

http://www.disabilityempowerment.net

Mark Seifarth

Honoring ADA 34th Anniversary – Essay: “ADA & Advocacy – Like Final Exams – Really Never End” Mark E Seifarth

ADA & Advocacy – Like Final Exams – Really Never End Mark E Seifarth
In 1979, I was the first student in Kent State University history to give the main commencement address. And while that is needed background, it is not the important point in this introduction. The focal point is the subject of the commencement speech itself – “The Finals are Never Over.”
No more all-nighters, no more waking up late for an exam, or four or five exams in the same week after graduation to be sure – but the journey, the challenges, the aspirations, and yes, the sorrows are never over. In fact, according to my address, they are just beginning for graduates and most others.
Fast forward to July 26, 2024, the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We need to celebrate our inclusion, opportunities, and equal access for people with disabilities in employment, government, public accommodation, communication, to name a few.
Furthermore, let’s celebrate June 22, 2024, the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead Decision concluding that the ADA prohibits unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities in institutions AND have the right to live and receive services in the most appropriate integrated setting in their communities.
For many of us feeling that we now have at least a seat at the table in running our own lives and had earned “nothing about us without us” in our own communities, perhaps, just perhaps, we would have a respite from paternalism, nothing but the medical model, professionals asked about our lives before us, and more.
But after we celebrate, the work continues, the journey continues, and unfortunately sometimes discrimination and separateness still occur.
There also continues to be very positive inclusive movements forward resulting from our education and advocacy. Governor DeWine’s initiative – included in Ohio’s last two-year budget – required appointing at least one person with a disability eligible for services to each of Ohio’s 88 County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (DD) in 2025 and after.
This has increased the discussion and support for ongoing training for all County Board of DD members as to their responsibilities and duties.
Prior to that, Ohio became an Employment First State that presumes all Ohioans, including people with significant disabilities, can and should have the opportunity (and support & training) to work in their communities.
But looking to just some of the challenges ahead in inclusion and fairness:
• The Supreme Court just decided that a homeless person can be ticketed or arrested for sleeping in a public park or public space even though there is no other adequate shelter or affordable place in the community to live or sleep.
• The Supreme Court just overturned a 40-year-old standard for decision making that required federal courts to defer to reasonable agency decisions where federal law is unclear or silent. So, courts will not have to accept expertise from the very agencies that oversee laws when regulations are challenged perhaps weakening those very laws.
• While our veterans have received some coverage for illnesses resulting from burn pits, the need is very high for support of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, illness caused by toxic exposure and other injuries
• Accessible, affordable housing for people with disabilities is still unavailable or out or reach in many areas
We are in a time of significant change. In the past, one could argue our lack of rights and inclusion was simple paternalism or we know better than you do. But now in some areas, rights are being reexamined, diminished and taken away. In 2018, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and 42 of her Senate colleagues wrote a letter to Senate leadership pledging to block the ADA Education & Reform Act that had passed the U.S. House because it would have undermined enforcement provisions that safeguard accessibility in public accommodations. Senator Duckworth’s advocacy ensured the ADA would not be significantly weakened.
Like Senator Duckworth, we must continue to advocate and educate for equal rights and opportunities, because now we see that rights earned can just as easily be taken away.
Who knew that in 1979 – The Finals Are Never Over – would be even more true today!
Now list the issues most important to you. Education and advocacy continue to be a team effort across an ever-widening need for everyone to be treated with equality and equity. Reach out to support others in their advocacy and learn from them as they learn from you.
The journey and challenges ahead – and need to work together – may be best summed up in this quote from Martin Neimoller, a prominent Lutheran pastor, who spent the last eight years of Nazi rule in Nazi prison and concentration camps – and is perhaps best remembered for his Postwar Statement:
➢ “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Mark Seifarth

ADA 34 LIVE! Show your ADA and History Knowledge July 25th 2 PM – Register by 7/24

Thursday, July 25th, 2024 2:00 PM EDT – 3:00 PM EDT

Via Zoom Webinar Platform using Poll Everywhere Tool (on attendees personal device)

Join us to celebrate the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and test your knowledge during this live event. In this session, participants will have the opportunity to answer questions on general ADA knowledge, the history of the ADA and noteworthy disability rights figures. Whether you are a newcomer who wants to learn more or someone who works with the ADA on a regular basis, this event will be a fun and interactive way to honor the legacy of this historic disability rights law and the people who made it a reality.

This session will use the Poll Everywhere software to allow attendees to answer questions via a browser or text. Instructions on how to participate will be provided in the materials and during the session.

General Accommodations: 

American Sign Language (ASL)

Open or Closed Captions

Materials Available in Alternate Formats

From the Sponsor: 

Region 5 – Great Lakes ADA Center, ADA National Network,

Audience: 

Business, Employer, People with Disabilities, State and Local Government, ADA Coordinator, Consumer Advocate, Family Member of Person With Disability, Practitioners, Service Provider

Topic: ADA Anniversary

Registration: Required

Cost: 0

Registration Link: 

https://www.accessibilityonline.org/ADA-Audio/session?id=111126(link is external)

Registration Deadline: 

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

For More Information: 

ADA Audio Conference Series(link is external)

Mark Seifarth

34th Anniversary Essay: “ADA & Advocacy – Like Final Exams – Really Never End” Mark E Seifarth

ADA & Advocacy – Like Final Exams – Really Never End
Mark E Seifarth

In 1979, I was the first student in Kent State University history to give the main commencement address. And while that is needed background, it is not the important point in this introduction. The focal point is the subject of the commencement speech itself – “The Finals are Never Over.”
No more all-nighters, no more waking up late for an exam, or four or five exams in the same week after graduation to be sure – but the journey, the challenges, the aspirations, and yes, the sorrows are never over. In fact, according to my address, they are just beginning for graduates and most others.
Fast forward to July 26, 2024, the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We need to celebrate our inclusion, opportunities, and equal access for people with disabilities in employment, government, public accommodation, communication, to name a few.
Furthermore, let’s celebrate June 22, 2024, the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead Decision concluding that the ADA prohibits unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities in institutions AND have the right to live and receive services in the most appropriate integrated setting in their communities.
For many of us feeling that we now have at least a seat at the table in running our own lives and had earned “nothing about us without us” in our own communities, perhaps, just perhaps, we would have a respite from paternalism, nothing but the medical model, professionals asked about our lives before us, and more.

But after we celebrate, the work continues, the journey continues, and unfortunately sometimes discrimination and separateness still occur.
There also continues to be very positive inclusive movements forward resulting from our education and advocacy. Governor DeWine’s initiative – included in Ohio’s last two-year budget – required appointing at least one person with a disability eligible for services to each of Ohio’s 88 County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (DD) in 2025 and after.
This has increased the discussion and support for ongoing training for all County Board of DD members as to their responsibilities and duties.
Prior to that, Ohio became an Employment First State that presumes all Ohioans, including people with significant disabilities, can and should have the opportunity (and support & training) to work in their communities.

But looking to just some of the challenges ahead in inclusion and fairness:
•The Supreme Court just decided that a homeless person can be ticketed or arrested for sleeping in a public park or public space even though there is no other adequate shelter or affordable place in the community to live or sleep.
•The Supreme Court just overturned a 40-year-old standard for decision making that required federal courts to defer to reasonable agency decisions where federal law is unclear or silent. So, courts will not have to accept expertise from the very agencies that oversee laws when regulations are challenged perhaps weakening those very laws.
•While our veterans have received some coverage for illnesses resulting from burn pits, the need is very high for support of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, illness caused by toxic exposure and other injuries
•Accessible, affordable housing for people with disabilities is still unavailable or out or reach in many areas

We are in a time of significant change. In the past, one could argue our lack of rights and inclusion was simple paternalism or we know better than you do. But now in some areas, rights are being reexamined, diminished and taken away. In 2018, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and 42 of her Senate colleagues wrote a letter to Senate leadership pledging to block the ADA Education & Reform Act that had passed the U.S. House because it would have undermined enforcement provisions that safeguard accessibility in public accommodations. Senator Duckworth’s advocacy ensured the ADA would not be significantly weakened.
Like Senator Duckworth, we must continue to advocate and educate for equal rights and opportunities, because now we see that rights earned can just as easily be taken away.
Who knew that in 1979 – The Finals Are Never Over – would be even more true today!
Now list the issues most important to you. Education and advocacy continue to be a team effort across an ever-widening need for everyone to be treated with equality and equity. Reach out to support others in their advocacy and learn from them as they learn from you.

The journey and challenges ahead – and need to work together – may be best summed up in this quote from Martin Neimoller, a prominent Lutheran pastor, who spent the last eight years of Nazi rule in Nazi prison and concentration camps – and is perhaps best remembered for his Postwar Statement:

➢“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”