New: Weekly Virtual Peer Support — Every Monday 2–3 PM EST | The Spirit of Independent Living
Kristina "KK" Kapp
Executive Director, The Center for disAbility Empowerment
Kristina "KK" Kapp has transformed a life marked by adversity into a beautiful masterpiece, sharing the strength and wisdom gained from her profound experiences. As a first-generation American with a rich multicultural heritage from her immigrant parents from the UK and Hungary, KK’s perspective has been shaped by a life lived from sea to shining sea. Born outside of New York City, her journey has taken her across the US—from Washington state to Florida, Texas to Hawaii—and internationally, with years spent overseas in London and Scotland. This diverse, global upbringing instilled in her a deep understanding of different cultures and communities, which profoundly informs her humanitarian work.
She courageously reframes her journey with disability and trauma, seeing them as catalysts for learning and growth while consistently raising the bar beyond conventional societal limitations. Defying prognoses of a life confined to institutions due to chromosomal birth defects and neurodiversity, KK tapped into the profound well of human potential. Her compassionate spirit brought forth a flow of hope, opening endless doors of limitless possibilities for herself and others. KK powerfully counters the belief that disability defines identity or caps potential; instead, her experiences have become the foundation upon which she blazes new trails of innovation and creative development. Alongside her extensive advocacy work, KK is a proud mother of two young adults: a daughter with spina bifida who is currently attending OSU, and a creative, free-spirited neurodivergent son who is an artist.
For 24 years, KK has been a dedicated disability rights and justice advocate, living proof that potential transcends perceived limitations. A survivor of ECT, she established Beliefactory in 2020 to empower others. Her leadership roles are extensive and impactful: she serves as Vice President of the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) and as President and CEO of MindFreedom International. She is also a founding steering member of L4J-Liberators for Justice, a co-founder of SAFE 4 Recovery, and serves on the ADA Watch National Advisory Board. Most recently, she has taken on the role of Executive Director of The Center for Disability Empowerment (CIL).
Through her unwavering work, KK inspires a revolution of hope, embodying the conviction that human potential is truly boundless.
BELIEVE IT...BECOME IT... BE IT...
CIL History Timeline
1972
The Movement Begins — Berkeley, CA
Ed Roberts and the Rolling Quads establish the first Center for Independent Living — a civil rights movement led by disabled people.
1978
Rehabilitation Act — CILs Go National
Federal legislation establishes consumer-controlled CILs. Core principles: consumer control, peer support, self-advocacy, full inclusion.
1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA is signed into law — a landmark civil rights achievement. CdE has a certified ADA coordinator for all consumers.
Today
CdE — Central Ohio's IL Leader
Serving 4 counties. 100% disability-led. Built on the belief that lived experience is essential expertise — not just a credential.
The Mission
To provide the "Strength, Innovation, and Leadership" necessary for individuals to lead their own lives and shape their communities — powered by consumer control and IL values.
Person-Centered Practice
Your Empowerment Agent never makes decisions for you. They provide access and voice so you decide for yourself — in your home, your neighborhood, your community.
Disability Leadership
51%+ of The Center for Disability Empowerment staff share lived disability experience. Consumer-majority governance. The L4J Recruitment Letter — signed by KK and OOD-CILs nationally — guides our ethics.
Six Months In: KK's Direction
Consumer control · Peer support · Self-advocacy · Cross-disability solidarity · The dignity of risk. Returning boldly to the beating heart of the IL Movement.
A Central Ohio where disability is recognized as a natural part of human diversity — where accessibility is the standard, not the exception, and our community is celebrated as essential contributors.
Barriers are meant to be broken. Limitations exist in systems, not in people.