AHRC Nassau is proud to welcome Michelle Rudoff to the AHRC Nassau Board of Directors in recognition of her years of advocacy and service to the disability community.

Michelle, a Valley Stream-based self-advocate and Quality Assurance (QA) Trainer at AHRC Nassau, brings years of lived experience and commitment to advancing person-centered outcomes for people across her community. A staunch believer in the importance of self-advocacy and self-expression, Michelle credits these values as central to her independent and ability to give back to her community.

In her role as a part-time Quality Assurance Trainer, Michelle supports life planning events for people receiving Day Habilitation, Residential, and employment services at AHRC Nassau. Michelle works closely with Residential Services, Personal Outcome Measures, and Day Services departments to design and facilitate empowering events for people receiving services.

The primary goal of these events is to bring attention to the importance of self-advocacy while empowering people to discover and pursue their life goals.

In the last two years, Michelle has played an essential role organizing initiatives, such as Person-centered Planning Presentations, where self-advocates share their interests, goals, and support needs with peers. These presentations showcase the many options available to people with disabilities to lead a fulfilling life while also serving as an essential self-discovery practice.

Michelle is also a strong voice within Day Services, where she actively participates and consistently takes opportunities to educate peers on the breadth of available disability services.

Michelle regularly reminds her peers to review their list of services to ensure they align with their current needs and advocate for changes as needed.

As a member of the Executive Council, Michelle has advocated on behalf of employees with disabilities, thoughtfully raising concerns and pushing back on policy changes which may negatively impact that workforce.

Now, as a member of AHRC Nassau’s Board of Directors, Michelle is eager to contribute to the agency’s strategic plan, and support initiatives that lead to improved supports and services.