Nicole LeBlanc highlighted for disability policy advocacy

Influential Women featured Nicole LeBlanc, a Silver Spring-based disability policy advocate and national consultant with nearly two decades of experience in public policy and systems change. The profile spotlights her work on Medicaid, SSI, employment, and community inclusion, along with recent recognition from disability advocacy groups.

Why it matters: - Nicole LeBlanc’s work focuses on policy changes that affect daily life for people with disabilities, including access to services, jobs, housing, education, and health care. - Her advocacy centers on equitable systems that support self-determination, community inclusion, and economic security. - The profile also underscores the growing role of disability advocates in shaping national conversations on health, employment, and civil rights.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Nicole LeBlanc in a June 29, 2026 profile. - LeBlanc is based in Silver Spring, Maryland. - LeBlanc works as a disability policy advocate, Self Advocate Advisor at TASH: Equity, Opportunity, and Inclusion for People with Disabilities Since 1975, and an HSRI policy assistant. - The profile describes nearly two decades of experience in public policy and advocacy. - LeBlanc’s work covers Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance, disability employment, housing, education, and health equity.

The details: - LeBlanc began her advocacy career in 2007 as Advocacy Director for Green Mountain Self-Advocates. - In that role, she worked with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build self-advocacy skills and influence policy. - Her career later expanded through national fellowships and leadership programs with The Arc of the United States, the Autism Society of America, and the National Disability Rights Network. - LeBlanc authored Disability Employment Policy 101, a resource promoting competitive integrated employment and “real jobs for real pay.” - She spoke at a press conference led by Sen. Bernie Sanders on the importance of strengthening home- and community-based services in health care reform. - LeBlanc writes for Women’s eNews as a fellow focused on disability justice, equity, and inclusion. - She also creates socially conscious artwork through a freelance practice centered on disability rights and social justice themes. - Her advocacy approach emphasizes dignity of risk, self-determination, trauma-informed care, and full community inclusion. - LeBlanc says her early work at Green Mountain Self-Advocates shaped her understanding of grassroots organizing and systems-level change. - Her fellowship work deepened her experience in policy analysis, disability rights law, and program development. - The profile says she received the 2019 David Joyce Advocate of the Year Award from the Autism Society of America and the Steve Bartlett Award from RespectAbility. - In June 2026, she received the SESQUI AWARD IN ADVOCACY at the AAIDD annual meeting. - LeBlanc says her keynote rate is $1,000 to $1,500 for conferences and her consulting rate is $50 to $100 an hour. - More information is available in Nicole LeBlanc’s Influential Women profile.

Between the lines: - The profile presents LeBlanc as part of a broader push to move disability policy away from segregated systems and toward inclusive, community-based support. - Her emphasis on persistence reflects how disability policy change often depends on long timelines, repeated advocacy, and coalition-building. - Her focus on “low expectation syndrome” points to a broader fight over public attitudes, not just formal policy. - The profile frames skills-based hiring and home- and community-based services as two practical areas where systems change could improve outcomes.

What’s next: - LeBlanc plans to keep using public speaking and media advocacy to challenge ableism and promote disability inclusion. - She is continuing to push for better access to home- and community-based services, reduced healthcare disparities, and more inclusive employment practices. - Her work at TASH and in national advocacy spaces is positioned to keep influencing disability policy conversations.

The bottom line: - Nicole LeBlanc’s profile casts her as a seasoned disability advocate whose work connects policy, public narrative, and community-based change.