I used to tell people not to disclose. Here's why I still might.
25 years building disability inclusion as a business strategy. Fortune 500 employers, measurable outcomes, authentic engagement.
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The silence I inherited.
My paternal grandmother was Puerto Rican, did not speak English, was raising three children alone, and had significant mental illness. She was institutionalized for 8 years, given a lobotomy without permission, and sent home as "cured."
That generational injustice and the silence that followed shaped my mission: to build workplaces where mental health is supported, disability inclusion is expected, and no one is left behind because of who they are.
For years, I didn't disclose my own disability, even as I worked to open doors for others. Today, far too many people are still navigating systems that weren't built for them.
From the front lines.
My business case for inclusion was forged on the front lines. As a senior leader in high-volume contact centers and staffing, I led teams responsible for hiring hundreds at scale. Traditional pipelines were not enough, so my teams and I challenged the system. We turned inclusion from a value into a strategy.
That work moved thousands of people with disabilities into competitive integrated employment, while equipping companies to build inclusive cultures that drive performance. I have seen the business value of disability inclusion firsthand, and I continue to share what I learned, including the hard lessons, so other organizations can do the same.
My intent isn't to stay with you forever. I'm here to transfer capability, not create dependency.
Felicia is always informed, articulate, and prepared … an energetic forward thinker who consistently drives outcomes and promotes the value of ability.Director, Workforce Integration · Mass General Brigham
Board service.
I have served on various advisory boards and national task forces over the last 20 years, including the U.S. Center for Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Steering Committee, the American Heart Association Diversity Business Council, the National Association of Colleges & Employers Disability Employment Task Force, the Circle of Champions at the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commissioners Board of Business Advisors, the Greater Boston Employment Advisory Board of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Working Partners Advisory Board, the Work Without Limits Business Advisory Council at the University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Health Policy and Research, Transition Works for Youth with Disabilities, the Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board Youth Employment Committee, and the Quinsigamond Community College Business and Technology Division Advisory Council.
Loud & Clear
What's really happening in disability inclusion, and what to do about it.
My straight-talk newsletter, landing in your inbox: where disability inclusion actually stands right now, the moves that work, and how I can help. No jargon, no corporate gloss.