The 2026 D-30 Disability Impact List
Honoring People with Disabilities Globally Who Are Making A Difference.
Nominations for 2026 will close on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Call for Global Nominations for the 2026 D-30 Disability Impact List
We are excited to share that nominations are now open for the 2026 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 seventh year, Diversability’s D-30 Disability Impact List was launched in 2020. Over the years, we’ve received more than 1,100 nominations and honored more than 150 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.
You will receive a confirmation of your nomination via email from Google Forms.
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 open on Monday, April 13, 2026, and close on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. 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.
We will announce the honorees in our newsletter, social media, and our website. 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 Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
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)
Abbie Hills (She/Her), Founder & Talent Agent, Dazey Talent, Access Coordinator, Disability Representation Advocate in Entertainment | United Kingdom
Fabiola Amaya (She/Her), Social Worker | United States
Timothy (Tim) Harte (They/Them), Graduate Researcher | Australia
Garrison Redd (He/Him), Athlete | United States
Abhishek Kumar (He/Him), Lawyer, Environmental Researcher, and Disability Rights Advocate | India
Fenel Bellegarde (He/Him), Executive Director | Haiti
Atif Sheikh (He/Him), Disability Inclusion Specialist | Pakistan
D-30 Selection Committee Member Bios
Image description: Headshot of Abbie - Abbie leans on the arms of a chair looking at the camera, she wears a green jumper and has reddy brown hair
Abbie Hills (She/Her)
Founder & Talent Agent, Dazey Talent, Access Coordinator, Disability Representation Advocate in Entertainment | United Kingdom
2025 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Abbie Hills is a British talent agent, filmmaker, writer, and disability advocate based in Southampton. Living with cerebral palsy, she is a prominent voice for inclusivity in the entertainment industry and was the first in the UK to be trained as an Access Coordinator.
Image description: Headshot of Fabiola - A medium shot shows an open-faced brown woman with wavy, shoulder-length brown hair and red lipstick, seated in a black power wheelchair. She wears an off-the-shoulder, short red lace cocktail dress with a tiered skirt. A formal black and yellow graduation stole is draped over her shoulders. Her red pointed-toe heels rest on the footrests. The wheelchair faces forward, centered in an archway with light stone floors and pillars. In the background are large windowpane-style doors, and behind them a tall, light-yellow building is visible.
Fabiola Amaya (She/Her)
Social Worker | United States
2025 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Fabiola Amaya is a Master of Social Work student specializing in macro practice, with a career dedicated to disability justice and systemic advocacy. As a first-generation college student, she brings a deeply personal perspective to her work, focusing on dismantling barriers and championing accessibility through policy analysis, grant writing, and organizational strategy.
Fabiola’s leadership in the field is exemplified by her recent role as Executive Producer for the documentary On the Moov: Journey to Accessibility. Her professional background includes a transformative internship with the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and extensive experience as a research assistant exploring intersections of social justice. Currently completing her practicum at Down Home Ranch, she is also developing a capstone project that utilizes digital storytelling to reflect on macro social work identity. Outside of her advocacy, Fabiola is a prose writer and poet who explores the intricate threads of family history and social change, always striving to bridge the gap between community needs and systemic solutions.
Image description: A headshot of Tim. Tim is wearing dark glasses and a black cap and is caucasian in appearance.
Tim Harte (They/Them)
Graduate Researcher | Australia
2025 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Tim Harte GAICD, MRACI, DLI is a materials chemist, governance leader, and disability advocate committed to advancing inclusive and sustainable futures. Tim is a PhD candidate at Deakin University and CSIRO, researching electrolyte systems for structural energy storage. After acquiring disabilities at 19, Tim redirected a career in ballet toward scientific research and policy leadership. Tim serves as an Independent Director of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations and has held leadership roles across government advisory and community boards. Tim co-founded the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s ChemAbility Network to champion inclusion in chemistry and was recognised in the 2025 D-30 Global Disability Impact List. Passionate about equity and innovation, Tim brings lived experience, scientific expertise, and governance insight to support emerging disability leaders.
Image description: Garrison Redd, a Black man, sits in a wheelchair wearing a black suit.
Garrison Redd (He/Him)
Athlete | United States
2020 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Garrison Redd is a Team USA athlete, speaker, and advocate dedicated to redefining what’s possible after spinal cord injury. As a competitor in both adaptive climbing and powerlifting, he is on a mission to become one of the first athletes to represent Team USA in two Paralympic sports. Formerly the Spinal Cord Injury Outreach Coordinator at Mount Sinai, Garrison led adaptive sports programs, peer support initiatives, and community outreach efforts that empowered individuals living with paralysis. He is also the founder of The Garrison Redd Project, a nonprofit focused on increasing access to adaptive sports, education, and mentorship. Through his platform, speaking engagements, and content creation, Garrison uses his voice to inspire resilience, promote independence, and advocate for accessibility as a fundamental right.
Image description: Headshot of Abhishek in an arms-crossed posture wearing a glass and blue patterned traditional Indian attire (Kurta).
Abhishek Kumar (He/Him)
Lawyer, Environmental Researcher, and Disability Rights Advocate | India
2024 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Abhishek from India is the founder of The Sangyan, an initiative focusing on the convergence and intersectionality of law, inclusion, and sustainability. He's carrying out data-driven, evidence-based, and impact-oriented research, advocacy, and campaign endeavours exploring the impact of 'Common Concerns of Humankind' (Planetary Crisis, Polycrisis, and Threat Multipliers) on vulnerable communities (especially, persons with disabilities) and ecosystems. He's working on 'Universally Accessible Education for Inclusive Climate Action, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Environmental Protection'. Abhishek serves as a Member of India's National Disaster Management Authority’s Core Group on Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, UNESCO–MGIEP’s Youth Advisory Group, Sphere India’s Sector Committee on Protection for Disaster Resilience and Humanitarian Response, and Sangath India's Youth Advisory Group for the Youth-LEARN (Mental Health) Project. Abhishek has represented India at the 14th UNESCO Youth Forum 2025 in Uzbekistan, the 18th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation 2024 in Tanzania, and UNESCO-MGIEP’s TAGᵉ: Youth. Climate. Emotions. Panel Dialogue during G20 Brazil 2024, among other local, national, and international forums and platforms. He's the recipient of the 15th NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award and Diversability's 5th Annual 2024 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree.
Image description: Profile photo of Fenel wearing a blue jacket and light blue shirt.
Fenel Bellegarde (He/Him)
Executive Director | Haiti
2025 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Fenel Bellegarde is a disability rights leader, educator, and accessibility strategist transforming communication access in Haiti and beyond. With academic training in social communication, marketing, and accessibility, he teaches at Haitian universities and leads the Universal Accessibility Unit within the national disability office. Fenel founded Haiti’s first sign language institute, advancing Deaf rights and language access. Over the past year, he partnered with organizations in Quebec to produce sign language videos about cholera, launch an e-learning platform, and train over 400 youth in Haiti and the diaspora. He also co-created Haiti’s first Deaf-centered television program and advises on inclusive communication strategies nationally and internationally. His work has earned national and international honors from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, Junior Chamber International, and the Joël Lorquet Foundation for his leadership in advancing disability visibility.
Image description: Atif, a bearded man, stands wearing a blue suit jacket and blue striped shirt.
Atif Sheikh (He/Him)
Disability Inclusion Specialist | Pakistan
2023 D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree
Atif is a senior disability-inclusive development advisor with over 20 years of experience of providing training and advocacy, currently serves as the Executive Director of the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) mainstreaming disabled people in society. Served PPAF (Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund) as Advisor in addition to undertaken assignments with UNESCAP, UNDP, World Bank, Oxford Policy Management, DAI, IFES, Light for the World, Sightsavers and Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability. Affiliated as a research associate with the Harvard Law School Disability Project. Remained the technical associate and member of the task forces, constituted by the Government of Pakistan, including Committee for the implementation of UNCRPD and Incheon Strategy for the mainstreaming of disability in development agenda, working group on inclusive elections and committee for disability inclusion in Five Year Plan constituted by the Ministry of Planning and Development Reforms. In the international role as a technical expert on disability inclusion, representing as Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) and the World Institute on Disability at the country level. Having honorary positions as Chair for South Asian Disability Forum and Commonwealth Forum of Disabled People. Presented papers and represented Pakistan as a delegate in 27 countries at regional and global platforms. In 2012 proclaimed by UNESCAP as Promoter for the Incheon Strategy for the Asia Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities 2013-22 under Champions of Decade Award on Disability for Asia and Pacific.