Coleen Mackin, self-advocate and Quality Assurance Trainer, recently became one of the twenty board members of Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), a national self-advocacy organization. Her leadership reflects years of advocacy and a deep commitment to empowering people to share their experiences. 

“I joined to help other people and gain more knowledge,” Coleen said. “I’d like to do more advocacy work with them and get out there more.”  

As a person receiving disability services, Coleen brings her lived experience to her advocacy and speaks openly about critical issues. “There’s a staffing crisis all over the country, and we need to get people better access to quality and accessible housing,” Coleen said. 

Coleen also advocates for improved transportation and stronger voter turnout within the disability community. She plans to advance these priorities as a SABE board member and looks forward to weighing in on updates to SABE bylaws. 

Coleen is also an active board member of Self-Advocates of New York State (SANYS). SABE works closely with SANYS, and Coleen looks forward to helping both advocacy organizations plan a joint conference in 2027.  

Coleen last attended a SABE conference in person in Alabama in 2015, where she met people from across the United States and around the world—from Ireland to Africa. Discussions about differences in access to care and transportation deepened her understanding of how disability support varies by location and how advocacy can influence disability policy.  

As Coleen continues her advocacy work with SANYS and SABE, she looks forward to becoming a stronger advocate and empowering others to do the same.