Nicole LeBlanc is an Autistic self-advocate who has a keen ability and interest in public policy and excels at communicating the needs of people with developmental disabilities to public officials. She leads a Vaccine Education Initiative in partnership with the Howard County Health Department through April 2024. Ever since Nicole first stepped foot in Washington, D.C., she knew she wanted to live in the political universe. Nicole has presented or facilitated webinars and video blogs on the topics of healthcare, Autism, presuming competence, self-managed services, voter access, COVID-19, the dignity of risk, and employment of people with disabilities. She has worked with organizations including Green Mountain Self-Advocates, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, and the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Nicole received the David Joyce Advocate of the Year award for outstanding policy advocacy on Capitol Hill from the Autism Society of America. She was a Public Policy Fellow at RespectAbility, and has spoken at several RespectAbility events. Nicole was the first-ever recipient of RespectAbility’s Steve Bartlett Award, which recognizes and honors an individual in the private or public sector who demonstrates a strong commitment to using the political system to advance public policy in support of people with disabilities. She has worked since 2020 as a Self Advocate Advisor with TASH on the AOD Disability Employment TA Center. Nicole is one who is not willing to shy away from taking on big challenges and new adventures. Her motto is “control your own destiny or someone else will.” She is a die-hard RED SOX and Patriots fan! Nicole also is a RESPECTABILITY Board member, PCORI Health Disparities advisory panel member.