The 2024 D-30 Disability Impact List
Honoring People with Disabilities Globally Who Are Making A Difference.
Nominations for 2024 are now open through May 20, 2024.
Call for Global Nominations for the 2024 D-30 Disability Impact List
We are excited to share that nominations are now open for the 2024 D-30 Disability Impact List #D30DisList. The list will honor the unique accomplishments of our most impactful disabled community members through a nomination and selection process.
Now in its fifth year, Diversability’s D-30 Disability Impact List was launched in 2020. Over the years, we’ve received more than 1000 nominations and honored more than 120 of the world’s most impactful disabled leaders.
“I am overjoyed and deeply honored for being selected as a D-30 Disability List Honoree. Advocating for inclusion is my passion and creating awareness in the community has always been full of challenges and obstacles however, I’ve never let me this bring me down. Moments like these, where my hard work is recognized, keeps me motivated and further fuels my passion.”
Eligibility and Timeline
Nominators
Anyone (disabled or non-disabled) can nominate an individual to the list as long as the prospective nominee meets the eligibility outlined below. Given our emphasis on the power of community and interdependence, self-nominations are not accepted. Please ask someone to nominate you if you would like to be considered.
Nominee Eligibility
Any individual with a disability can be nominated to the list. Disabilities are apparent and non-apparent, including mental health conditions and chronic illnesses. Nominees can be any age, from any part of the world (note: this opportunity is not limited to U.S. citizens or residents), and from any demographic background. You only need to be nominated once (note that multiple nominations will not have an impact on whether or not you are selected as an honoree).
If you have been selected as a D-30 Honoree in a past year, you cannot be selected again.
Timeline & Process (Subject to Change)
Nominations opened on April 23, 2024, and close on May 20, 2024. Once an individual is nominated, after the nominations close, they will receive a form by email requesting supplemental information and consent to be considered for this opportunity. Once the nominee completes the form, that individual will be considered by the selection committee to be one of the honorees.
All nominees will be notified in July whether they were selected as an honoree or not. Not all nominees will be selected for the D-30 Disability Impact List. Both forms, from the nominator and the nominee, must be received in order to be considered.
How to Nominate
To nominate a disability leader, please follow the “Nominate A Disability Leader” button below and complete the Google Form (also embedded at the bottom of this page). Only nominations submitted through the form and in English will be considered. For questions or access needs when filling out the form, email us at hello@mydiversability.com.
Help us share the call for nominations by amplifying these posts on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Threads.
Meet Our D-30 Selection Committee
While we know that our Selection Committee is not a full representation of the diversity of the disability community, including but not limited to older and younger leaders and leaders from other parts of the world, we curated this group of community members who possess a range of professional, personal, and intersectional experiences.
D-30 Selection Committee Members
(in order of first name)
David Reyes (He/Him), DE&I Consultant | El Salvador
Lorin MacDonald (She/Her), Human rights lawyer | Canada
Matt McCann (He/Him), CEO and Co-Founder of Access Earth | Ireland
Dr. Sai Kaustuv (He/Him), Graphics & Visual Designer, Global Motivational TEDx Speaker, Certified Happiness Coach, D&I Global Champion | India
Sara M. Acevedo (She/Her), Distinguished Visiting Scholar (SUNY Buffalo), Assistant Professor of Disability Studies at Miami University, Ohio | USA
Thato Mphuthi (She/Her), Founding Director, Enabled Enlightenment | South Africa
Theophilus Odaudu (He/Him), Program Manager, West Africa, Disability Rights Fund | Nigeria
D-30 Selection Committee Member Bios
Image description: David Reyes’s headshot wearing a gray suit and blue shirt on a black background.
David Reyes (He/Him)
DE&I Consultant | El Salvador
2022 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Leader, activist, changemaker: David Reyes isn’t just a former Salvadoran Congressman. He’s a champion for disability inclusion. Through social activism, motivational speaking, and political leadership, he’s driven impactful initiatives, fostering a more inclusive El Salvador.
A historic first: In 2009, David became the country’s first disabled Deputy, serving four terms. His dedication and results speak volumes.
Globally recognized: David’s expertise is valued by being an honoree of the 2022 D-30 Disability Impact List.
David Reyes exemplifies leadership and action. His work transforms lives, paving the way for a more just and inclusive El Salvador.
Image description: Lorin MacDonald is a White woman with short gray hair wearing a floral blouse and earrings, smiling.
Lorin MacDonald (She/Her)
Human rights lawyer | Canada
2023 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Human rights lawyer and accessibility changemaker Lorin MacDonald is recognized as one of Canada’s disability leaders and highly regarded by the human rights legal community. Born with profound hearing loss, Lorin is unwavering in her desire to increase disability and accessibility awareness through professional speaking, training, writing, and consulting.
Recognition of Lorin’s pioneering and sustained work is plentiful. Canadian Lawyer magazine named her one of the 2021 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in the Human Rights category. In 2022, The Law Society of Ontario bestowed upon Lorin the Law Society Medal, its highest honour, for outstanding service to making the legal profession more accessible and inclusive, she was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame and became a member of the Order of Ontario. In 2023, Diversability included her on its D-30 Disability Impact List as one of 30 disability leaders from 12 countries worldwide (and the only one from Canada) creating impactful change.
Image description: Matt McCann has shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes. He has a trimmed goatee and is wearing a blue suit jacket and white shirt. Matt is smiling in the photo.
Matt McCann (He/Him)
CEO and Co-Founder of Access Earth | Ireland
2023 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Matt McCann, CEO and Co-Founder of Access Earth, uses his lived experience with Cerebral Palsy to champion accessibility and inclusivity across various sectors. He has presented at forums like the United Nations and TEDx, advocating for Universal Design and meaningful policy changes to enhance accessibility worldwide. His collaborations with organizations such as the International Transport Forum, Microsoft, and VINCI Airports, aim to make urban areas and digital platforms more navigable and inclusive.
In addition to his role as an Accessibility and Universal Design Consultant for the World Economic Forum, where he contributed to the Urban Mobility Scorecard, Matt has also led impactful disability awareness and universal design training programs with partners including Enable Ireland and Trinity College Dublin. These initiatives have spurred actions to improve accessibility in businesses and public spaces globally.
Matt's work with the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) and UEFA focuses on enhancing stadium accessibility and the matchday experience for disabled fans, demonstrating the wide-reaching implications of Universal Design. Through collaborations with football clubs and educational institutions, Matt McCann’s efforts exemplify a comprehensive approach to promoting inclusivity, inspiring advancements in accessibility standards and ensuring spaces are accessible to all
Image description: Sai Kaustuv is sitting in Electric Wheelchair, wearing red T-shirt, with fair skin color, curly hair, smiling
Dr. Sai Kaustuv (He/Him)
Graphics & Visual Designer, Global Motivational TEDx Speaker, Certified Happiness Coach, D&I Global Champion | India
2021 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Dr. Sai Kaustuv, the Wheelchair Warrior of India, resides in Bengaluru, India and battles the rare Brittle Bone Disease, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, enduring over 50 fractures. Despite his 90% locomotor disability and 80% hearing impairment, he embarked on an extraordinary journey, inspiring millions through transformative Happiness Coaching. Confined to an electric wheelchair 24x7, Dr. Sai can only move one finger, yet he achieved international acclaim as a Designer and Motivational Speaker, representing India at the UN to advance disability inclusion in SDG 2030. Recently honoured with the National Award for Individual Excellence and his contribution in diversity and inclusion by President Smt. Droupadi Murmu, Dr. Sai is dedicated to making India wheelchair-friendly. His advocacy extends globally, earning him numerous records and titles, including those from Guinness and Limca Book. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Dr. Sai continues to inspire millions, promoting inclusivity and compassion worldwide.
Image description: Dr. Sara Acevedo is a Mestiza woman of pale skin, big brown eyes, and chin-length light brown hair smiles at the camera looking upward. She is wearing thick framed blue glasses, a copper-colored top and a printed scarf decorated with red beads.
Sara M. Acevedo (She/Her)
Distinguished Visiting Scholar (SUNY Buffalo), Assistant Professor of Disability Studies at Miami University, Ohio | USA
2021 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Dr. Sara Acevedo is a Colombian-born and raised autistic Mestiza woman living with chronic illness. Her work examines neurodivergent cultural practices and creative forms of resistance at the productive intersection of critical disability studies and scholarly-activism. Her approach to this work is informed by plural feminisms, the principles and practices of Disability Justice, and critical pedagogy. Dr. Acevedo has received numerous social justice awards and led disability-related initiatives around the world, including the creation of the Society for Disability Studies’ 15 guiding principles and the co-authorship of Latin America’s first Neurodiversity Manual sponsored by the UNESCO.
Image description: Thato Mphuthi standing at a podium with a microphone, there's a blue background with white blurry print
Thato Mphuthi (She/Her)
Founding Director, Enabled Enlightenment | South Africa
2023 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Thato Mphuthi Is the visionary behind Enabled Enlightenment, an organization dedicated to fostering awareness and driving positive transformation in the realm of disability, Thato Mphuthi possesses remarkable eloquence and a profound aptitude for addressing these crucial issues. Drawing from her personal experiences as a person with a disability, she adeptly translates her lived encounters into a relatable discourse that challenges conventional thinking and orchestrates shifts in societal norms. This unwavering commitment and influence extend seamlessly to her engagements encompassing discussions, education, and facilitation in the sphere of sexual and reproductive health—yet another domain in which her expertise and wisdom shine prominently.
Image description: Theophilus Odaudu is a black man wearing a gray suit and a white shirt. He is wearing glasses.
Theophilus Odaudu (He/Him)
Program Manager, West Africa, Disability Rights Fund | Nigeria
2022 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Theophilus Odaudu is a lawyer and a human rights advocate with interest in disability rights and good governance. He has over six years’ experience in civil service, and as a person with disability, he experienced firsthand, the workplace barriers to effective performance of persons with disabilities in Nigeria. In pursuing his passion to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, Theophilus volunteered for different organisations working on disability rights, women and children, including the Nigeria Association of the Blind. Presently, he works with the Disability Rights Fund Inc. (DRF) as Programme Manager, supporting organizations of persons with disabilities in West Africa. He has published articles and made contributions to academic works on disability rights and good governance. He is a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow and studied Public Management at the Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, New York.