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Council on Leadership in Advocacy (COLA) Meeting

Monday, November 9, 2026

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Ballroom Level: Potomac 1/2

The Council on Leadership and Advocacy (COLA) is an AUCD council focused on supporting persons with I/DD, family members, and those with lived experience, and on fostering the next generation of leaders and disability advocates. The November COLA Full Council Meeting will be held in person during the AUCD Conference on Monday, November 9, from 1:00pm–2:00pm EST. This year's meeting will feature a panel on lived experience, bringing together people with disabilities and family members to share experiences that have shaped their personal and professional paths. Panelists will discuss their involvement in disability leadership, advocacy, UCEDDs, and/or COLA; experiences and opportunities that have been meaningful to them; and what they would like others to know about getting involved. Anyone is welcome to join, and we are excited to welcome new and returning COLA members!

Meetings & Sessions

Presenters

Wanda P. Felty

Panelist
Center for Learning and Leadership

Wanda P. Felty is the Assistant Director at the Center for Learning and Leadership, Oklahoma’s UCEDD and Core Faculty Mentor for the OK LEND program. Wanda has been a professional in the field of family advocacy and systems change for more than 20 years. She serves on many state boards and works nationally to improve the system and services for people with developmental disabilities and their families. She has spoken nationally and internationally on topics of family professional partnerships and involving those with lived experience in the educational teaching process. Wanda is considered one of the leading experts in Oklahoma on state policy for people with developmental disabilities.

Maribel Hernández

Community Outreach Specialist
UC Davis MIND Institute

Maribel Hernández is the Community Outreach Specialist at the UC Davis MIND Institute’s UCEDD, where she coordinates the annual "Learning Together" conference. She is also a co-founder and coordinator of Collaboration Latina California (CLC), and is the founder of the Spanish-language support group "Parents for Parents" at the MIND Institute, and author of the “Let’s Talk” handbook series, a joint project of the UC Davis MIND Institute, UCEDD, and WarmLine FRC. Since joining the UCEDD in 2013, she has focused on connecting Spanish-speaking families with culturally and linguistically appropriate resources, education, and support, while promoting equitable access to services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Maribel is also the mother of two young adults with autism. Her personal and professional experience strengthens her commitment to fostering community leadership and building more inclusive and accessible communities. She was recently honored with a "Quetzal" award from the Latino Leadership Council.

Larissa Minner

Panelist
University of Texas at Austin (UT)

Larissa Minner (she/they), an ACT LEND alumnna of the University of Texas at Austin (UT), is a passionate advocate, speaker, researcher, and thought leader in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities and related differences. With a focus on fostering accessible, neuro-affirming environments, Larissa is dedicated to reducing systemic discrimination and health inequity for individuals with disabilities. Larissa serves as the principal investigator of her SHAPE in Healthcare Study at UT, focusing on accessible and person-centered healthcare environments. Larissa also co-developed and leads the Weaving Inclusion Together in research Hub (W.I.T.H.) at UT Texas Center For Disability Studies, a research advisory committee comprised of adults with DD and family members of individuals with DD. Through their extensive experience as a trainer, consultant, and researcher, Larissa empowers organizations and communities to create inclusive spaces and cultivate understanding and acceptance of neurodivergent individuals.

Abigail Tessmann

Co-Chair, Constituent Advisory Committee
Waisman Center UCEDD

Abigail Tessmann is co-chair of the Constituent Advisory Committee (CAC) at the Waisman Center University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) in Madison, Wisconsin, where she has served since 2013 and advocates for employment, transportation, and health care access, among much more. A person with cerebral palsy, she works as a Special Education Assistant substitute in the Madison Metropolitan School District, supporting students in grades K-12, and relies on Medicaid-funded supports, including a personal care worker and a job coach, to live and work independently in her community. A graduate of the Cutting Edge program at Edgewood University (then Edgewood College) and the 2026 Community Transportation Academy, she founded Transit2GO, which trains individuals and groups to navigate city bus systems with confidence so they can get where they want to go. Her advocacy on disability employment, DVR, and Medicaid funding has been featured in the Cap Times. When she’s not advocating, she sings with the Edgewood Chorale and walks her way around Madison. She is passionate about disability inclusion in the community.

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