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Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council Welcomes

Lydia Brown as New Chairperson
Brown is Youngest Developmental Disabilities Council Chairperson in Country
Quincy, MA October XX, 2015 The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) is
pleased to welcome Lydia Brown as the Councils new Chairperson. At age 22, Brown becomes the
youngest person in the country to serve as Chair of a statewide Developmental Disabilities Council. In
this new role, Brown will work closely with Council leadership and state and federal policymakers to
continue the MDDCs efforts to promote self- sufficiency, community inclusion and opportunity for all
people with developmental disabilities.
Lydias perspective as a young person with a disability will be invaluable to the Council as we work to
better support youth with developmental disabilities, said Daniel Shannon, Executive Director of
MDDC. Her considerable advocacy experience will be an asset to people across the state and country
as she begins her tenure as Council Chairperson, and we are thrilled to welcome her to this new role.
Brown, currently a law student at Northeastern University, is an autistic and multiple-disabled activist,
writer, and speaker whose work has largely focused on violence against people with disabilities. Prior to
joining the MDDC, Brown interned at the Disability Law Center of Massachusetts, and worked as a
policy analyst for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's national policy team. Brown is currently copresident of TASH New England and a board member of the Autism Women's Network.

While a student at Georgetown University, Brown co-founded the Washington Metro Disabled Students
Collective, led multiple campaigns to reform university policies on disability access, served as the point
person on disability affairs in the student government, and was a member of the University Center for
Excellence in Developmental Disabilities' consumer advisory council. Brown is a past Patricia Morrissey
Disability Policy Fellow at the Institute for Educational Leadership.
In 2013, the White House honored Brown as a Champion of Change for disability rights. In addition,
Brown received the 2014 Washington Peace Center's Empowering the Future Youth Activist Award and
in 2015, Brown was named a Top 30 Thinker under 30 by Pacific Standard and honored on Mics
inaugural list of 50 impactful leaders, cultural influencers, and breakthrough innovators. Browns work
has been published in numerous outlets including The Washington Post.
The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC)
MDDC is an independent agency, funded by the federal government, dedicated to empowering
people with developmental disabilities and their families to enjoy full and productive lives by
promoting self-sufficiency, community inclusion and opportunity. For more information about
the Council, please visit www.mass.gov/mddc or find us on Facebook.
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