Discover Your Voice: Becoming an Effective Self-Advocate

Amanda Baker lives in Tallahassee and has worked in the disability field for nearly 20 years. She currently works as an Advocacy Specialist with Disability Rights Florida. Amanda has won multiple awards for her disability advocacy work throughout the state of Florida. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in communication from FSU, she went on to become the first ever Chair of the Community Advisory Committee for the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities. Amanda is also the former Vice-Chair of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council and a founding member and former President of Florida Self-Advocates Network’D (FLSAND).

Andrew Sagona is a self-advocate with multiple disabilities, and is also an internationally-certified disabilities advocate, speaker, writer, and journalist. In this course of his advocacy work, he has conducted seminars for various organizations on a variety of topics related to disabilities, including people with disabilities and their interactions with the criminal justice system.

Andrew earned bachelor degrees in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Central Florida. He then earned his law degree from the Florida International University College of Law. Andrew also founded disability advocacy organizations at both universities.

Damian Gregory is a journalist and community advocate for people with disabilities. Mr. Gregory is a twin, who was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair as a result. He has been a self-advocate his entire life, and he has degrees in broadcast journalism and political science from the University of Miami. And he worked as a journalist for several South Florida-based publications, including the Chicago Tribune's South Florida Sun Sentinel and Caribbean Today.

For most of his life, he's worked in the disability advocacy arena, and his work has included stints as a Medicaid waiver support coordinator, travel trainer, and disability rights consultant. He's currently the founder of Nothing About Us, Without Us, LLC, that does disability consulting, advocacy, and education, and is also a consultant and adjunct faculty member for the University of Miami's Mailman Center for Child Development. He served on plenty of different boards and commissions dedicated to disability and accessibility, including the Florida Self-Advocates Network'D, the Miami-Dade County Commission on Disability Issues, and is the chairperson of the University of South Florida's Florida Center for Inclusive Communities, also called the FCIC, Community Advisory Committee. 

Sarah Goldman is the Director of Administration and Youth Initiatives at the Florida Independent Living Council (FILC). Sarah received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University Central Florida and furthered her education by earning a Master’s in Social Work from Florida State University. Sarah has used her education and experiences as an individual with a disability to advocate for others. Before joining FILC in 2020, Sarah worked as a legislative aide for four years in the Florida Legislature. She has been recognized for her achievements as an advocate for community integration, inclusion, and employment initiatives for those with disabilities.