Council Members and Associates

Abla Gharib, MS, is a self-advocate and activist. She was born in Dearborn, Michigan and is Palestinian to her two immigrant parents. Toxic shock syndrome prompted amputations of her legs and hands. Ms. Gharib has a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a masters degree in rehabilitation counseling. She advocates for people with disabilities, on the personal and community levels, and volunteers as a peer mentor for people with amputations and youth with disabilities. She often travel to Springfield, Illinois to meet with legislators.

Ms. Gharib was the lead Arabic-speaking peer mentor for the Partners of Refugees in Illinois Disability Employment (PRIDE) program, where she assisted refugees with disabilities in overcoming barriers and challenges while accessing services and resources. She was a fellow with the Illinois Leadership Educational Neuro Development (LEND) program at UIC and is currently a board member of Illinois Single Payer Collision (ISPC). She works with The Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing (DRACK) as an advocate for affordable housing.

She is also part of Long-Term Care Disability Committee and Northside Action for Justice (NA4J), a grassroots, member-controlled organization that builds power for low- and moderate-income people to advance economic and social justice on the north side of Chicago and across the city. In addition, Ms. Gharib is part of Alliance for Community Services, which is dedicated to helping people turn a passion for justice into the power to change the world. Her particular interest is in helping people who wish to move from nursing homes into the community.

Alexis Avila (He/Him) is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in the Rehabilitation Sciences department at UIC. As a Communication and Media Support Intern in the Disability Department, Alexis utilizes his skills in media production and presentation to advocate for accessibility and inclusion.

With experience as a Massage Therapy Educator and caregiver for special needs adults, Alexis has developed a passion for informed care and advocacy in the disability space. He aspires to continue his education to further contribute to the well-being of individuals with disabilities. Alexis sees himself as a massage therapist, educator, student, and advocate dedicated to creating positive change in the lives of others.

Ashleigh Nightengale, MSW, LSW, is a self-advocate with cerebral palsy. She has spent nearly 4 years assisting the disability community both personally and professionally. As a a teen, she was a part of the M&M mentoring program at RIC, in in which young girls with disabilities learn skills they can use in adulthood as well as a transition group which taught life skills such as how to navigate different resources.

These experiences were vital to her goal to promote equality and equity for people with disabilities. For most individuals with a disability, learning about or gaining a new service that aids personal independence is a trial-by-error process. Ms.

Nightengale understands how discouraging these experiences can be, to the point of forcing individuals to give up. Because she passionately believes that accessible services are vital to the functioning of the disability community and should be streamlined, she returned to school three times in order to complete her BS, MSW, masters in grant writing, and Illinois LSW certification. At present, she works with Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, The Alliance for Community Services, and The Shirley Ryan Ability Lab and its Clinical Research Registry as well as CO-LEAD and the associated Chicagoland Disabled People of Color community organization. Ms. Nightengale has developed important partnerships with Stanford University’s Disability in Medicine Mutual Mentorship Program; The CP Foundation in New York City; the University of Rhode Island’s CP pain study; the Carrying Generations organization in Illinois, Iowa, and Los Angeles; OSHA Maternal and Neonatal Screening Grant Review; and The National Disability Mentoring Coalition in Boston. She is using all the knowledge gained from her experiences with disability organizations across the US to advocate for streamlining community resource organizations so that people with disabilities may not only better understand the policies and processes that affect their daily lives but also become more self-reliant and have a more adaptive, productive future.

Francisco Alvarado, MD, MS, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, began his public service as a vocational counselor in 1986. His doctorate is from the University Autonomous of Guadalajara School of Medicine and his MS in Rehabilitation Counseling is from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. For more than 10 years he has been Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. In this capacity, he advises the department director on matters related to the employment and education of adults and youth with disabilities. He has developed policies and implemented community-based programs to improve outcomes for Latino, immigrant, and refugee communities as well as initiatives to improve educational and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all people with disabilities, their families, and communities in Illinois.

His special interest is in implementing the principles of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in Illinois and seeing the potential of that legislation realized on behalf of those with disabilities. With a statewide team of consultants in the business sector, he led the development of new strategies to help meet the employment needs of businesses by matching them with qualified applicants with disabilities and implementing a variety of employer support services. Considering that the employment rate for people with disabilities has not risen since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted more than 30 years ago, he is committed to reducing the prosperity gap they face. In his free time he volunteers with the Latino association Salto, which provides supports to youth with autism and their families. He also enjoys time with friends and family, scuba diving, traveling, and his involvement in marine preservation.

Ginger Leopoldo, M.A., Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Artistic Director of CIRCA Pintig, and UIC Alumna, is an educator, actor, director, and community organizer. Following her history as a co-founder of the Pintig Cultural Group and as the founding Artistic Director of the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts (CIRCA), she currently serves as the Executive Director of CIRCA Pintig and leads the organization in delivering education, activism, and advocacy. In her more than 20 years of community arts advocacy, Ginger has made significant contributions to theater, youth heritage curriculum development, and arts- based literacy programs for at-risk youth. She has also taught ESL globally and currently teaches Grade Two at Urban Prairie Waldorf School in Chicago.  Ginger is dedicated to her partnership work with Dr. Rooshey Hasnain, most recently their Wellness through Asian American Narratives and Theatre (WAANT) program, and continues to be involved in disability justice initiatives. Additionally, she has contributed to the From Stigma to Mad Pride: Fighting for Visibility podcast as a demonstration of her commitment to mental health advocacy and awareness. As she pursues a doctoral degree in organizational and educational leadership at UIC, Ginger continues to exemplify a life of continuous learning and leadership development.

Jada Young (she/her), from Saint Paul, Minnesota, currently resides in Chicago, Illinois to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and a minor in Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Identifying as African American and Korean with a speech impediment, she strives to self-advocate and educate those unfamiliar with invisible disabilities while being a minority. Working as an intern with the UIC Co-Lead Council, she is eager to empower those who are underrepresented and learn more about disability justice to support those in need in her future endeavors. Also competing for the Division 1 collegiate UIC Volleyball team, Jada is determined to represent the Chicagoland area and prove that even with a disability, anyone can achieve their goals and dreams.

Hart Ginsburg’s work as a psychotherapist and community arts partner focuses on existential and narrative approaches. He is also involved in film and book projects that cover a wide range of topics related to humanity and healing. Hart’s aesthetic approach, which has evolved from his life experiences, incorporates Eastern, Western, and Natural elements. Hart’s time living in Japan influenced his culturally inclusive worldview and taught him to deeply value the challenges that many face while acculturating into a new environment.

Marija Aleksić, is an entrepreneur and self-advocate. As a double above- knee amputee, she has not allowed any obstacle to hinder her pursuit of a fulfilling life. Formerly an assistant geological researcher with a background as a geographic technician, this polyglot’s spirit of continuous learning and adaptability reaches well beyond her formal education. Among her other skills, she is fluent in five languages: Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, and English. When Ms. Aleksic sought political asylum in the US, in 2018, she left two children behind in Serbia. Her dedication to them shines brightly despite the distance. Here in Chicago, she has emerged as a beacon of strength and resilience within her found community. She is eager to participate in UIC’s CO-LEAD Counseling Board and serve as a resource to others seeking accessible employment and vocational training opportunities.

Aurora (Ri) Wild, BS (they/them, she/her) is a Korean-American paraeducator and advocate for disability rights working in the western suburbs of Chicago. They graduated with a BS from UIC’s Disability and Human Development program in 2020. They have worked as an educator, media creator, and independent living advocate alongside people with disabilities since 2018. Aurora is on the Autism spectrum. They are dedicated to ensuring spaces for underrepresented people–including immigrants, people with disabilities, and queer people–to live in security and dignity. Their hobbies include videography and music.

Dr. Rooshey Hasnain, EdD, MA. Dr. Hasnain self-identifies as a Desi immigrant woman of mixed ethnicities and is an active member of the disability community. Her family comes from a tribal clan tied to West and South Asia, of Baháiʼ and Muslim faiths.  She is a clinical associate professor and community-engaged researcher with the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD) and the Undergraduate Rehabilitation Sciences Program at UIC. She serves as an Honors College Faculty Fellow and as a LEND faculty mentor to graduate and postgraduate disability fellows. She is also the capstone coordinator for DHD’s undergraduate service-learning program. In addition to her work at UIC, for more than 20 years she has been affiliated with the Association of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental and Related Disabilities in Oregon, Massachusetts, and Chicago.

She is the principal investigator and a co-investigator on several grant-funded projects that seek to improve economic opportunity, education, service accessibility, social inclusion, and quality of life for and with people from ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse minority groups, especially immigrants and refugees who are living with disabilities. She has a long history of engaging in community–university partnerships that focus on challenging cultural stigmas; improving advocacy and access; developing narrative advocacy through storytelling; and implementing quality-of-life agendas around disability and mental health across all age groups. Dr. Hasnain serves on numerous boards and committees and has presented and published extensively on disability and social justice issues. She currently works both locally and nationally with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that involve disability groups and multicultural entities.

Stephanie is a bilingual, bicultural, neurodiverse- affirming social worker and close supporter of the CO- LEAD Council through the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Trainee program in Illinois. As a mental health professional at the University of Illinois Chicago Developmental Disabilities Family Clinic, Stephanie provides individual, group, and family therapy.

Tatek Asmare Habtmu has a Master of Social Work, with a concentration in family, youth, and children, from Addis Ababa University Ethiopia and also completed an LLB in Law and Governance Studies there. His thesis is titled The Rights to Inclusive Education of Children with Disabilities Under the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Light of the International Human Rights Laws and Their Enforcement, with Specific Reference to Selected Schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In addition, he completed a BA in Sociology and Social Anthropology at the Addis Ababa University College of Social Science, including a thesis titled The Socioeconomic Problems of Female-Headed families, with Particular Reference to Yeka sub- city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. As a social worker and legal consultant for more than 16 years, he engages in professional, academic, teaching, and volunteer work in both governmental and nongovernmental sectors. He is bilingual in English and Amharic and holds memberships in the Ethiopian National Blood Bank, the Ethiopian National Association of the Blind, the Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association, and the Ethiopian Lawyers Association as well as his CO-LEAD council membership.

Mr. Tedros Markos Tekle is an Eritrean refugee and self-advocate. After five years of taxing life in exile, he in arrived in Chicago in December 2019. Over 20 years as a journalist, he has written and edited dozens of articles, interviewed refugee survivors of trauma, translated exclusives to and from English with senior government officials, and contributed to hundreds of documents produced by international agencies, including the UN. At present, he is an associate with UIC’s Partners of Refugees in Illinois Employment Disability (PRIDE) and an educational associate with a Chicago nonprofit, Agents of Hope. He completed a disability leadership fellowship at UIC during the 2019–2020 academic year and earned his masters in rehabilitation counseling at Northeastern Illinois University in August 2024.

Chloe Bares is a first-year master’s student studying Disability and Human Development with a future interest in issues surrounding employment and neurodiversity. She received her bachelor’s in Political Science and History from Hope College. She currently works in job coaching and one day hopes to open her own job training program to educate and empower the disability community to participate in employment.

Driven by an insatiable curiosity for the hidden stories within data, Narayani Vadhuka Jillellamudi is a data-savvy enthusiast eager to unravel complex datasets to discover insights that inspire transformative decisions. Her passion lies in exploring the infinite possibilities that data offers to influence the future and drive innovation.

Alique Zohran is a research data analyst for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Chicago, IL. He received his bachelor’s in Information and Decision Sciences (MIS concentration), and his master’s in Business Analytics, both from UIC.

Nabeeha Tabani (she/her) is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing dual degrees in rehabilitation sciences and psychology with a minor in disability and human development at UIC. She is currently a research intern under Dr. Hasnain and is passionate about improving the lives of minorities and amplifying their voices with a particular focus on their mental health.

Reva Srivastava (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate student studying neuroscience at UIC in the GPPA Medical Scholars Program. She is a lifelong advocate for the disability community and is passionate about using her skills and knowledge to support communities in need. She has extensive experience working with children, specifically children with disabilities, as aspires to become a pediatric neurologist.

Jada Young (she/her), from Saint Paul, Minnesota, currently resides in Chicago, Illinois to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and a minor in Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Identifying as African American and Korean with a speech impediment, she strives to self-advocate and educate those unfamiliar with invisible disabilities while being a minority. Working as an intern with the UIC Co-Lead Council, she is eager to empower those who are underrepresented and learn more about disability justice to support those in need in her future endeavors. Also competing for the Division 1 collegiate UIC Volleyball team, Jada is determined to represent the Chicagoland area and prove that even with a disability, anyone can achieve their goals and dreams.