Miranda Hooper

Community Education Coordinator and Data Coordinator

What is your role with the CLL | UCEDD?

I am the Community Education Coordinator and Data Coordinator for the CLL | UCEDD.

Why did you decide to work in the field of Disability?

I have an uncle who grew up in an institution in Texas. I didn’t see him very often, and I always wondered why he lived “elsewhere” when my other aunts and uncles lived in their communities with their families. When my son was diagnosed with autism in 2007, I truly began my journey in the field of disability. Today, I see the opportunities my son has that my uncle didn’t and often wonder what it will look like for people with disabilities in another 20, 30, 40 years. Both the progress and continued barriers that affect people with disabilities reaffirms my commitment to the work on a regular basis. 

How does your perspective inform your work?

Seeing the historical progress that has been made in the last 50 years through the lens of both a family member and a parent perspective heavily informs my work. As a parent, I became an advocate without even realizing it because I had to become the voice for my son. Now that he is a young adult, I advocate for him as well as alongside him and as he learns to advocate for himself. I apply the same ideas in my professional life: it is crucially important to include all perspectives and work together when advocating for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  

When you are not working, how do you relax and practice self-care?

I enjoy reading, hiking, family time, playing trivia with my friends, game nights, going on road trips and stopping at all the quirky roadside attractions, and curling up in a big blanket for a cozy movie night at home with the people I love.

What is a motto or saying that motivates or inspires you?

Advocacy: “You eat an elephant one bite at a time”

Inclusion: "Don’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree”