"All my life I have been granted access to the good things in life. That isn't true for everyone. People who are marginalized by society, including people with disabilities, haven't been granted the same privileges. For me, our work is more about justice than about disability. The work matters because it is part of making the world the kind of place I want to live in."

"I come from a family of strong women, many of whom have made their careers in the field of disability. Because of this, I have always intuitively known that the life experiences of citizens with disabilities were often very different from the rest of society. ​ It has been my experience, throughout my career in the field, that the primary objective of many organizations is to simply keep the people they support safe and busy―something that always made me feel extremely uneasy and worry we were in fact doing more harm than good. It wasn't until 2006 when I learned about Social Role Valorization that I was able to put words to that uneasiness. Since then, I have been dedicated to supporting people to have access to good jobs, a home of their own, meaningful relationships, and the opportunity to influence systemic changes so that possibilities for others with disabilities across Kentucky and the nation are the norm rather than the exception. One of my favorite quotes comes from Maya Angelou who said, 'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.' I believe it is time we all do better."

"Our society was designed by able-bodied people and where accommodations have been made, they have often been made without input from those they are meant to benefit. The only real way to catalyze social change is to listen to and amplify the voices of those who are marginalized by society. Mattingly Edge is a bullhorn for people who are not content to live their lives confined by the spaces that society has carved out for them, for people who are ready to tear down barriers and build their own spaces in community." 

“It’s important that human service providers understand, respect, and support the individuality of the people they serve. In my role, I’m committed to discovering best practices for each individual Mattingly Edge serves, supporting them to enhance their autonomy and build meaningful and fulfilling lives for themselves.”

“I love being the bridge that helps people with disabilities make friends and build relationships out in the world. Often new people will start off being politely friendly out of sympathy, but when we can build relationships over time, they soon learn to value people with disabilities for their own sake and receive the gifts they have to offer.”

“Kentucky poet/author/farmer, Wendell Berry says, 'It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.' I believe in the power of a committed community, striving to find solutions that work for the whole community. In a world where it's every person for themselves, we will find only nightmares and disappointment and pain. But, in a community—one that is committed to caring for one another—we will find solutions and joy and companionship and all those things that make life worth living. I'm not naive enough to believe such great outcomes will come easily. For me, the work Mattingly does matters because it is on the only sane and workable path forward and, fortunately, this path is one blessed with beauty and joy. Let's let our impeded streams sing.”

“My work as an Employment Specialist is important to me because I know from personal experience how hard it can be to find a job that you love. On top of that, job candidates with disabilities are often stigmatized and overlooked. It is a great honor to support talented job candidates as they present their best selves to employers and to witness employers find the team member they’ve been missing.”