Crafting a Responsive Community Investment Strategy
for People with Disabilities in Northeast Ohio
This project is a one-year research initiative conducted by National Disability Institute (NDI) and funded by the George Gund Foundation. The initiative seeks to create a framework for an evidence-based community investment strategy for improving the economic status of people with disabilities in Cleveland, OH and wider Cuyahoga County area.
About the Community Action Team (CART)
The project is implementing a community-based participatory research program aimed at gaining insight into the lived experiences of Ohioans with disabilities through discussions and resource mapping exercises with various community stakeholders. This includes convening a Community Action Research Team (CART), comprised of eight member representatives from key disability stakeholder groups, who guide the project implementation process and inform the recommendations for a community investment strategy.
The project has leveraged these key individuals who are intermediaries within the community and local subject matter experts, have working knowledge and experience of issues related to economic advancement for people with disabilities, including but not limited to employment and workforce participation, small-business development and self-employment, financial education and empowerment, transportation access, affordable housing, banking and capital investment, benefits counseling, healthcare access, legal services, and services to underserved and diverse groups in the region.
Meet the Community Action Team
Chief Executive Officer, Medina Creative Housing
Dianne DePasquale-Hagerty is the CEO of Medina Creative Housing (MCH) and its five affiliated organizations.
Dianne holds a BA Degree from Canisius College, a JD degree from Case Western Reserve University and a MHA degree from Cornell University.
Prior to joining Medina Creative Housing, Dianne served as Legal Counsel to Lakewood Hospital for 11 years. After becoming a mother and staying home with her son for seven years, Dianne pursued her passion and became Medina Creative Housing’s first Executive Director working on behalf of individuals with disabilities. Dianne has a nephew on the Autism Spectrum and a brother with disabilities and, thus, learned firsthand about barriers to achieving your potential if you have a developmental, cognitive and/or physical disability. She is committed to focusing on all individuals’ abilities, to assist them in achieving their potential.
Over her 21 year tenure, Dianne has received numerous awards for her innovative thinking in opening an array of housing, services and support opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Through Dianne’s leadership, Medina Creative Housing has been recognized on local, regional, state and national levels for its innovative housing and development of an array of services and support opportunities for individuals with disabilities that have traditionally been closed.
Dianne has received numerous awards for her work on behalf of individuals with disabilities which include: 2017 Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital Community Service Award; Smart Business Power Players Class of 2014; 2014 Women in Law Making a Difference award by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Women in Law Section and the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel; 2014 Crain’s Cleveland Business “Women of Note” Award; 2014 Milestones Autism Organization “Community Innovator” Award; 2012 American Association of University Women Medina County “Agent of Change” Award; 2012 Michael J. Berken Peace & Justice Award from the Catholic Commission of Wayne, Ashland & Medina Counties; 2011 Smart Business and Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service recognized as “Executive Director of the Year”; 2010 “Community Champion” Award by the State of Ohio Finance Fund; 2009 Medina County YWCA Women of Distinction Award and the 2006 Cuyahoga County YWCA Women of Professional Excellence Award. Some of her professional affiliations include Medina Hospital Advisory Board, Medina County Housing Network Charter Member, Medina County Foreclosure Task Force and Leadership Medina County graduate.
Director of Public Policy and External Affairs (and Former Executive Director), Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential
Melanie was the Executive Director of Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP), a Center for Independent Living, in Cleveland, OH until October 2023 when she retired. Melanie has been with the organization, which serves individuals with disabilities in eight Ohio counties, for 29 years.
She currently serves as LEAP’s Director of Public Policy and External Affairs. Melanie has been actively involved in the human services field for her entire career, working with individuals with disabilities in a number of capacities, including residential services, vocational rehabilitation and independent living services.
Melanie has served on many boards, councils and coalitions promoting equal access to work and community living for persons with disabilities. She has recently been appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Advisory Board and was appointed by Governor DeWine to the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council.
Melanie holds a master’s degree in Education from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wheeling College.
Board President, Rising Heights
Adoptive Parent
Owner, Leek Pipe Organ Company
As the current Board President, Natalie Leek directs many key functions for Rising
Heights, (a neuro inclusive housing and wellness community) including marketing, operations, business and community development and outreach. She co-wrote the RH strategic plan.
With over 20 years’ experience in various leadership roles at multinational corporations, Natalie brings an energetic, results-oriented approach to the organization with unmatched passion and dedication. She has held leadership roles at multinational corporations, universities and foundations.
As a mother of an adoptive child with multiple disabilities, she has spent the past 12 years caring and advocating for her son, Craig, to be mainstreamed in the medical, educational and social realms and continues to do so today. Her experiences with parenting Craig fuel her contributions to Rising Heights.
Natalie co-owns and operates a successful family business, Leek Pipe Organ Company, that serves worship and music ministry at churches of multiple denominations, concert halls and residences. Recently, she worked with a Biomed student team at Case Western Reserve University in an assistive tech application project to make worship music accessible to the Deaf and blind.
Natalie has been a yoga and mindfulness practitioner for all her life.
PCA Program Contractor/LTSS Supervisor, Services for Independent Living
Lisa Marn has life-long experience with a disability. She has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and has worked for Services for Independent Living, Inc. (SIL) for 26 years. She is the PCA Program Contract/LTSS Supervisor for SIL.
Lisa lives in her condo in Willoughby, OH with her service dog, Tahiti, and pet cat Rosie.
Director, Community Relationships, Assembly of the Arts
Meg Matko is a nonprofit professional, visual artist and community specialist hybrid working as Director of Community Relationships at Assembly for the Arts.
She holds a BFA concentrating in sculpture from Kent State University and has over a decade of arts administration and nonprofit management experience, concentrated in relationship-building, community outreach, organizing and facilitation, program development, grant making and research.
Meg is a long-time disability rights advocate, spearheading a study funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Open Caption: Rethinking Accessibility in Cleveland’s Arts and Culture in 2020 in her role as Community Relations Manager at Arts Cleveland (2013-2021).
In her current role, she advocates for and consults with artists with disabilities on their grant applications and by offering individual support services. Meg maintains an active creative practice in interdisciplinary performance and received a 2021 Satellite Fund grant for visual art through the Warhol Foundation.
Member Emeritus, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Community Advisory Committee Member; Transportation and Accessibility Subcommittees, Cuyahoga County Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities
Melanie was the Executive Director of Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP), a Center for Independent Living, in Cleveland, OH until October 2023 when she retired. Melanie has been with the organization, which serves individuals with disabilities in eight Ohio counties, for 29 years.
She currently serves as LEAP’s Director of Public Policy and External Affairs. Melanie has been actively involved in the human services field for her entire career, working with individuals with disabilities in a number of capacities, including residential services, vocational rehabilitation and independent living services.
Melanie has served on many boards, councils and coalitions promoting equal access to work and community living for persons with disabilities. She has recently been appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Advisory Board and was appointed by Governor DeWine to the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council.
Melanie holds a master’s degree in Education from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wheeling College.
Head of Entrepreneurship and Disability Inclusion, JPMorgan Chase
Anthony Reynolds is the head of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the Office of Disability Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Reynolds is focused on increasing access for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are neurodiverse or have disabilities to education and technical resources, capital and growth opportunities.
He also works to strengthen and scale supports available to small businesses and entrepreneurs who are neurodiverse or have disabilities. A former co-founder of a technology company, Reynolds rapidly scaled his business across multiple market segments using channel and strategic partnerships with large scale corporations. He has served as a featured speaker at the United Nations, National Disability Institute, Black Tech Fest U.K. and Startup Weeks.
Reynolds is currently a Global Mentor for Techstars Accelerator Programs. He also served on the Board of Directors for the START Fund, an initiative focused on making investments to nonprofits in the Central Ohio community. While a member of the United States Air Force, Reynolds was a part of the Intelligence Community and was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal. He was deployed to Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Reynolds is a native of Columbus, OH and resides in New York City with his family.
Research Activities
The following research activities have been conducted to help identify gaps in resources and opportunities for capacity building:
- Community listening sessions/focus groups with individuals with disabilities and their families, community providers, small business owners, policy makers and advocates that captured the lived experiences and sociopolitical concerns unique to the area;
- Key informant interviews to further explore unanticipated insights and geopolitical nuances of the City of Cleveland;
- Resource mapping exercises that explored Cleveland’s economic ecosystems and disability policies and practices, including a service provider inventory (survey) that asked disability service providers perceptions to identify strengths, gaps, barriers and opportunities for growth across the region.
CRAFTING A RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT STRATEGY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN NORTHEAST OHIO
People with disabilities face higher poverty rates than those without disabilities. In Cleveland, 28.1% of the population has a disability, with 35% of these individuals being of working age, impacting their financial stability and quality of life.
Using a community-based approach, NDI held listening sessions and interviews to gather insights from people with disabilities, their families, business owners and policymakers in the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio region. This brief is an overview of those sessions and what we learned.
Use this link to learn more about who can participate and sign up for a virtual or in-person session with our registration form.
Use our readymade email templates to help us spread the word about these listening sessions. All you need to do is copy/paste!
Learn more about the goals of this project and the Community Action Research Team.
To participate you MUST:
Live in Northeast Ohio
AND
Be a person with a disability or live in a household with someone with a disability
OR
Be a small business owner with a disability
OR
Be a community service provider, policy representative or advocate for people with disabilities
Information for Participants:
Registration is required for in-person and virtual sessions.
In-Person Sessions:
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Time: Multiple sessions available
Virtual Sessions
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Time: 3:00-4:30 PM ET
Location: Zoom Meeting
We will ask you to:
- Share what financial wellness and health means to individuals with disabilities.
- Share what community investment may look like in creating economic equality.
To compensate for your time and efforts, $100 gift cards will be provided to all participants.
Accommodations will be provided upon advanced request. Please provide at least 5 business days prior notice.
For more information, or to make a reasonable accommodation request, please contact Kara Broadus at kbroadus@ndi-inc.org.
Locations for In-Person Sessions
November 1
Max Housing – 1725 East 115th Street, Cleveland, OH 44106
November 2
LEAP – 2545 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113
Help Share This Information
Outreach Email Templates
You can help us spread the word about these listening sessions by using these readymade email templates.
All you need to do is copy/paste!
Email Template For:
Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families
Email Template For:
Small Business Owners with Disabilities
Email Template For:
Disability Service Providers
Email Template For:
Agency Partners
Email Template for:
Policy Representatives and Advocates
Email Template for:
Key-Informant Interviews
Share This Information
Use this flyer to share information about the listening sessions with your audiences.
Additional Information
The George Gund Foundation is a private nonprofit institution that has been promoting human well-being and progress in the Northeast Ohio Region for over 71 years. Creating vibrant neighborhoods and inclusive economy is one of the program priorities of Foundation. This funding work aligns with priorities for advancing urban economies of the Northeast Ohio region and expanding accessibility and economic self-sufficiency for traditionally underserved communities, including individuals and families living with disabilities.
For 18 years, National Disability Institute (NDI) has provided research, policy, technical assistance and comprehensive training support to public and private, federal, state and local entities to improve outcomes for and the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. NDI is a trusted advisor to the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services, as well as the IRS, FDIC, Treasury and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The organization has successfully assisted a broad range of partners to align policies, resources and services to collaborate and coordinate across systems to foster effective and meaningful participation of people with disabilities in the workforce, and to increase the economic outcomes of people across the spectrum of disability, with special focus on those living at the intersection of disability, race/ethnicity and poverty.
Get in Touch:
If you have additional questions about the project or Community Action Research Team expectations, please contact Dr. Ramonia Rochester, Director of Research, National Disability Institute, at rrochester@ndi-inc.org, or Monika Krol, Research Specialist, National Disability Institute, at mkrol@ndi-inc.org.
