Press Release
Rockville, MD – The American Association on Health and Disability has announced the appointment of their newest board member, Kimberly Hill Ridley. She joins as the ninth member of AAHD’s cross-disability Board of Directors, committed to advancing health equity for the disability community.
Kimberly Hill Ridley has been a national leader in the fight for disability inclusion and community living. Since November 2024, she has served as a member of the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency advising the federal leadership on disability policy, building on her service with the State of New York.
AAHD Executive Director, Karl Cooper honored her appointment to the board: “Mrs. Ridley has demonstrated her commitment to leading with the community at her side, and championing the needs of disabled Americans and their families. We are grateful for the participatory and democratic approach she brings to her work, modeling what more equitable communities should look like.”
About Kimberly Hill Ridley
Kimberly Hill Ridley is a leading disability advisor and advocate working for the State of New York, serving as Governor Hochul’s inaugural Chief Disability Officer since 2022. Under her purview, she advises the New York State executive leadership on ADA implementation, including the mandate to advance community living as required by the Olmstead decision.
As New York has committed to supporting people with disabilities in the workforce, Mrs. Ridley has served as a lead in executing this vision with Governor Hochul’s administration. With the 2023 Executive Order 31, she is helping to make New York State a model employer that increases opportunities for disabled employees in state service to reduce inequities in employment. The 2024 Executive Order 40 took this mandate further and called on the state to advance competitive integrated employment for workers with disabilities through the adoption of Employment First Principles. Under this framework, New York is demonstrating the importance of economic stability and employment as core social drivers of health for disabled adults. This work builds on over 28 years of experience serving in various disability-related roles in the New York Assembly.
Kimberly Hill Ridley holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Utica University and has lived experience of disability from a spinal cord injury. She is based in Latham, N.Y. with her family.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION ON HEALTH & DISABILITY
AAHD is dedicated to ensuring health equity for children and adults with disabilities through policy, research, education, and dissemination at the federal, state and community level. AAHD strives to advance health promotion and wellness initiatives for people with disabilities. AAHD’s goals are to reduce health disparities between people with disabilities and the general population, and to support full community inclusion and accessibility.
For more information, please contact:
American Association on Health and Disability
Michelle Sayles, Director of Communications
msayles@aahd.us
301-545-6140
https://aahd.us/