If you’ve been following The Arc’s work this year, you’ve already felt Meredith Sadoulet’s steady influence. She stepped into the role of Board President in January, and while she’s not new to the job anymore, many in our community may still be getting to know her. Meredith is thoughtful, values-driven, and deeply committed to creating a future where disability doesn’t limit opportunity. She’s a member of the disability community herself, a family member to people with disabilities, and a professional with years of experience leading workforce strategy and inclusion at Fortune 100 companies.

Before she officially took the helm, Meredith shared a powerful message at our National Convention—part reflection, part vision-setting, and a reminder of why The Arc exists in the first place. We’re sharing her message here with you. If you haven’t met Meredith yet, now’s your chance to get to know her.

“Having assumed the role of National Board President for the 2025-2026 term, I am deeply honored by the privilege and responsibility to serve an organization with a rich history of advocacy and a steadfast commitment to protecting and advancing the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For 75 years, The Arc has been a driving force for inclusion, and I am in awe of the collective impact of our nearly 600 chapters, their leaders and staff, and the communities we serve every day.”

“I imagine that each of us on this journey of advocacy with The Arc has a personal story about when our advocacy began. I can pinpoint the moment when the advocacy flame was lit inside of me. I recall being presented with a diagnosis and a fact sheet from the World Health Organization that accompanied it. The facts remain nearly the same as the ones I read over a decade ago: people with disabilities have poorer health outcomes, experience stigma, discrimination, poverty, and exclusion from education and employment, and more. This information being presented to me as fact—as a certain future—was the moment that lit my fire. Not just as an advocate for one, but as an advocate for all. I became someone who wanted to dedicate as much of my energy and skills as possible toward changing these outcomes.”

“As a person with disabilities (OCD and anxiety disorder), I’m a proud member of the disability community, and I’m grateful that my journey brought me to The Arc.

I’d like to imagine a new set of facts for the disability community.

What if a new fact sheet said:
‘Welcome to your community. You are part of one of the most powerful, connected communities on the planet. Your future is bright. Why? Because people with disabilities are likely to experience inclusive education, employment with robust pay and benefits, personal growth, security, and joy. Oh, and not just that. You’re more likely to help solve big, gnarly problems because this world wasn’t designed with you in mind, and yet you know how to navigate it. You’re more likely to spark innovation with products, services, and spaces—not just for yourself, but for everyone—because YOU bring value and insight to this world. Because you’re a person with a disability, you’re more likely to be a changemaker, both through the work you do and through the insight you bring to others.’

This is the world I wake up to every day trying to help build. And I’m honored to be on the journey with all of you.

So, how will we get there?

I’ve chosen three guiding values for my term as President:

  1. Leadership by People with Disabilities
    We must ensure more people with disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), are in positions of leadership and influence at a local, state, national, and global level. People with disabilities should not only have a seat at the table, but at the head of it, making decisions, influencing outcomes, and leading. We need systems shaped by lived experience, and we must commit to moving self-determination from theory to practice.
  2. Strategic Focus to Make Meaningful Change
    From my time in large Fortune 100 companies, I’ve seen how easily priorities competing for attention can pile up and momentum gets lost. I hope we don’t try to tackle 50 things over the next 2 years. I hope we stay focused where we can make meaningful change, so that 2 years from now, we can point to real, permanent change we made together on a nationwide level. With one voice, one consistent and memorable introduction of who we are and what we do, one aligned strategy and focused set of priorities, I know we can make impact together.
  3. Many Chapters & Constituents of The Arc, Yet One Community
    Across nearly 600 chapters, The Arc represents diverse communities, geographies, beliefs, and needs. We will honor those differences, yet try to seek commonality, knowing that we are stronger as one community. The Arc is strongest when we advocate as one voice for and with people with IDD.

Thank you for the chance to share my story, and my vision for our shared work. I’d love to hear your advocacy story, too. You can connect with me on LinkedIn. Together, let’s keep building a world where people with disabilities live with dignity, respect, and opportunity—and where the facts finally reflect that.“