Centering Disabled Students' Voices for True Inclusion and Justice with Dom Kelly

Centering Disabled Students' Voices for True Inclusion and Justice with Dom Kelly

From Think Inclusive by Tim Villegas

April 2, 2026 · 58 min · Season 13 · Episode 27

About this episode

Tim Villegas engages in a significant dialogue with Dom Kelly about disability justice in schools and the importance of centering disabled students' voices for true inclusion and justice.

Dom Kelly is the co-founder, president, and CEO of New Disabled South and New Disabled South Rising. A lifelong disability advocate, Dom has made his mark in nonprofit leadership and as a systems thinker who combines lived experience with movement building. Apart from his advocacy work, Dom is an accomplished musician, having toured extensively and shared the stage with renowned artists such as the Indigo Girls and Joan Baez. Amassing an impressive array of fellowships and awards, Dom is also an Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity and a recipient of the JM Kaplan Funds Innovation Prize. He resides in Atlanta with his family. In this powerful episode of Think Inclusive, host Tim Villegas engages in a significant dialogue with Dom Kelly, steering deeply into the realm of disability justice in schools. The conversation navigates the intertwining facets of inclusion, justice, belonging, and how these play out within educational settings. Dom Kelly, drawing from his multifaceted experiences as a disability advocate and co-founder of New Disabled South, speaks on evolving beyond mere compliance to fostering inclusive environments that value the voices and needs of disabled students…

People in this episode

Host: Tim Villegas

Guest: Dom Kelly

Topics covered

  • disability justice
  • inclusion
  • education
  • advocacy
  • belonging
  • race and disability

Keywords

  • disability advocacy
  • nonprofit leadership
  • inclusive environments
  • educational settings
  • movement building
  • lived experience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Disabled South, New Disabled South Rising, Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity, JM Kaplan Funds

Places: Atlanta

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