Our discussion today focuses on Disability Justice, a movement that centers the voices and experiences of those most marginalized, recognizing that disability is not a single, isolated experience. Disability inclusion is vital for social justice. It is deeply interconnected with race, class, gender, and other systems of oppression. Their slogan ‘'Nothing About Us Without Us' is a powerful statement that reminds us why centering those with disabilities in this fight for justice is imperative.

Today I’m joined by Mallory Cyr. Mallory combines lived experience as a disabled woman with a rare disease and professional expertise in healthcare policy and transition to adulthood. She earned her MPH in Maternal & Child Health from Boston University and a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maine at Farmington. A nationally recognized expert, Mallory has provided ADA consulting, technical assistance, and over 50 workshops and keynote presentations to state and national organizations. She previously served as a policy specialist and contract manager for Colorado Medicaid, overseeing the statewide Non-Emergency Medical Transportation benefit and advancing systems and benefits for individuals with disabilities and medical complexities. From 2008 to 2020, she contributed to the National Center on Healthcare Transition Improvement, co-authoring a textbook chapter on health care transition published by Springer in 2018 (Health Care Transition: Building a Program for Adolescents and Young Adults with Chronic Illness and Disability). Mallory has been honored with Boston University’s 2021 MCH Alumnae Award for Outstanding Service and the DeBeaumont Foundation’s 2023 40 Under 40 in Public Health. Mallory lives in North Carolina with her husband and their rescue dog, Tinsley. To learn more about Mallory and her work, visit MalloryCyr.com.