Note Mike Zelley always refers to our center for Independent Living as “my
company”. He even did that once again at the Michigan Department of Civil
Rights public hearings on the Flint Water crisis held here on April 28. By the
way The Disability Network has done virtually nothing for people with
disabilities in these regards.
But, that is because Zelley thinks a center for independent living is his
company. Oh, TDN is now run by his non-disabled son, Luke., No nepotism here
though right?
Now Zelley will be speaking before the conservative American Enterprise
Institute. I suppose he’ll be talking about how to funnel people with
disabilities in to sheltered workshops like Peckham which TDN recently did and
how to turn people with disabilities in to commodities to be literally
warehoused on the taxpayer’s dime!
Some independent living philosophy huh?
This is my CIL in action.
Joe Harcz
Citizen with Disabilities
See AEI agenda here:
AEI’s exclusive Vision Talks series convenes America’s top scholars, civic
leaders, and practitioners to offer fresh perspectives on key areas of public
debate and policy. These talks will be filmed and disseminated as stand-alone
videos.
Too often, the conversation about opportunity and barriers to success is all
policy and no people. The voices of individuals who have succeeded despite
setbacks are left out.
Join AEI for an evening of talks from those with firsthand experience in
overcoming obstacles. Bryan Kelley spent 22 years behind bars for murder and now
helps ex-offenders successfully re-enter society. Melony Armstrong broke down
occupational licensing laws in Mississippi to grow her African hair-braiding
business and open new opportunities for low-income women. Mike Zelley refused
to allow a paralyzing accident to deter him from employment and now works
with businesses to connect individuals with disabilities with jobs.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) will deliver a keynote address, and a discussion of the
lessons learned from the talks will follow.
We welcome attendees to follow the talks and comment on Twitter and Facebook
with #AEIVisionTalks.
This event will not be livestreamed.
Agenda
5:30 PM
Registration
6:00 PM
Keynote address:
Ben Sasse, United States Senator (R-NE)
Talks:
Melony Armstrong, Naturally Speaking Salon; Armstrong Academy
Bryan Kelley, Prison Entrepreneurship Program
Mike Zelley, The Disability Network
7:10 PM
Discussion
Participants:
Melony Armstrong, Naturally Speaking Salon; Armstrong Academy
Timothy P. Carney, AEI
Bryan Kelley, Prison Entrepreneurship Program
Aparna Mathur, AEI
Mike Zelley, The Disability Network
Moderator:
Robert Doar, AEI
7:30 PM
Adjournment and reception
Event Contact Information
For more information, please contact Kathryn Whitehurst at
Kathryn.Whitehurst@xxxxxxx, 202.862.5884.
Media Contact Information
For media inquiries, please contact MediaServices@xxxxxxx, 202.862.5829.
Speaker Biographies
Melony Armstrong successfully fought to reduce regulations on natural hair
braiders in Mississippi after her attempt to start a business ran into obstacles
with the state cosmetology board. She is the founder and owner of Naturally
Speaking Salon and Armstrong Academy, a natural hair care salon and training
center in Tupelo, Mississippi. She has trained more than 125 women who have
gone on to earn a living in natural hair braiding, and her business provides
jobs for 25 women.
Robert Doar is the Morgridge Fellow in Poverty Studies at AEI, where he studies
and evaluates how free enterprise and improved federal policies and programs
can reduce poverty and provide opportunities for vulnerable Americans. Before
joining AEI, Mr. Doar worked for Mayor Michael Bloomberg as commissioner
of New York City’s Human Resources Administration, where he administered 12
public assistance programs, including welfare, food assistance, public health
insurance, and help for people living with HIV/AIDS. Before joining the
Bloomberg administration, Mr. Doar was New York State commissioner of social
services,
helping make New York a model for the implementation of welfare reform.
Bryan Kelley spent nearly 22 years behind bars and now helps returning citizens
traverse the very steps he took less than two years ago. Mr. Kelley leads
a reentry team that picks up Prison Entrepreneurship Program participants at
the prison gate upon release and ensures that they continue their journey
of success outside prison walls. In his role he wears many hats: life coach,
counselor, property manager, recruiter, fundraiser, speaker, disciplinarian,
mentor, and impassioned ambassador for a program that helped change the
trajectory of his life. Mr. Kelley earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology
while
incarcerated and served as a peer educator for more than 10 years, a role that
has prepared him well for his current responsibilities.
Ben Sasse is a United States senator representing Nebraska. He was elected in a
2014, winning each of Nebraska’s 93 counties and securing the second-largest
margin for a new senator in the history of the state. He came to the Senate
having spent the previous five years as a college president. When he was
recruited
to take over the failing Midland University, he was just 37 years old, making
him one of the youngest college presidents in the nation. He has worked with
the Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey. He earned a bachelor’s at Harvard and
a Ph.D. in American history at Yale.
Mike Zelley has been a paraplegic for 27 years as a result of an automobile
accident, and he now works to connect and support individuals with disabilities
in employment. He is founder and president of the Disability Network, a
consumer-driven, private nonprofit serving 6,000 individuals with disabilities.
Previously, Mr. Zelley was founder and president of TravAbility Inc. and senior
vice president and board officer for SecureData Corporation.
Source:
http://www.aei.org/events/overcoming-barriers-to-opportunity-a-vision-talks-event/#14630553893592&pheight=20
