New Executive Director at the Institute on Disabilities
The Institute on Disabilities is excited to welcome our new Executive Director, Jamie Ray-Leonetti! Learn more about Jamie through our Q&A below. Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Read the full Q&A.
What is your background?
At the Institute, I have been our policy director since February 2018. In that role, I’ve worked on a variety of grants, including our state contract, where we complete supports broker certification and train self-advocates and family members through our Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policy Making (C2P2) program. I've also educated our legislators both at the state and federal level about important disability issues.
Where do you see the IOD continuing and expanding its work?
I’d like to continue to grow our research and to include people with disabilities at all levels of that research. We want to continue attracting graduate students who are interested in working in the disability field to grow the next generation of leaders, and we want to continue provide training and education and support to families and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.
We are also lucky enough to house our Assistive Technology Act program, which we call TechOWL. That gives us the opportunity to serve an even wider population of people with disabilities and assistive technology needs across Pennsylvania.
Anything else that you would like to share?
One of my goals as Executive Director is to be available for individuals and families across Pennsylvania. If you have a question or would like to set up a meeting, please reach out to me at jamie.ray-leonetti@temple.edu. I also plan to work closely with our Citizen Advisory Committee to amplify the voices of people with disabilities and families across Pennsylvania.
Upcoming Events
- Saturday, November 7, 12 - 1 pm - Greener Oak Lane Community Conversation at West Oak Lane Library with the IOD and Black Girls for Green Thumbs. Community Conversation registration
- Saturday, November 14, 2:30 pm - ASL Game Night meetup at the TechOWL Community Space. ASL Game Night registration
- Sunday, November 15, 2 - 4 pm - Open Mic Night at the TechOWL Community Space. Open Mic Night registration
- Monday, November 16, 5:30 - 7 pm - Disabled Theater Collective Workshop at the TechOWL Community Space. Theater Workshop registration
- Wednesday, November 18, 12 pm - Switch Access webinar. Learn how to switch-adapt activities. Switch Access webinar registration
- Wednesday, November 18, 5 pm - C2P2 Applications close. C2P2 details and application
- Wednesday, December 2, 12 - 2 pm - The True Friendship Project session on Zoom will feature Jamie Ray-Leonetti and help people with disabilities and families explore expanding social connections using the LifeCourse Framework. True Friendship Project session registration
- Monday December 7, 2026 - TechOWL Annual Adapted Toy Drive begins. Parents and caregivers: visit the TechOWL Community Space during our open hours and pick out a free switch-adapted toy to take home.
Updates
Staff at Cities of Inclusion Summit in Philadelphia
Numerous IOD staff attended and presented at the Cities of Inclusion Disability Summit at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, in early October.
We connected with partners, elected officials and community members looking to advance disability inclusion and accessibility in local communities.
L&CS Student DREAM Scholarship Event
Leadership and Career Studies (L&CS) students who received DREAM Scholarship funding were invited to a DREAMS Realized event at Arcadia University in Cheltenham Township.
The DREAM Partnership provides scholarship and post-secondary educational opportunities which lead to independent living and employment for students with intellectual disabilities in Pennsylvania.
Two L&CS students, Vaughn Feuerborn and Jeffrey Perlmutter, attended the event.
Healthy Sexuality Training in Harrisburg
The Institute's Healthy Sexuality Project team presented at the 2026 UPMC Child Advocacy Center of Central PA Multi-Disciplinary Team Training on October 7 in Harrisburg, PA.
The training, "Accessible Foundations for Multidisciplinary Teams: Disability, Sexuality, and Tools for Support," provided foundations, best practices, and discussion to help professionals better support families and people with disabilities.
Health Equity in Pittsburgh
Hannah Wells of the IOD, recently presented on behalf of our Health Equity team at the 2026 NADD Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. NADD is a national organization focused on supporting people with co-occurring intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) and mental health conditions.
Hannah presented our work to create an online training series designed to help healthcare providers better support to LGBTQ people with IDD.