Carol Westlake

Carol Westlake is the founding executive director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, which is about to celebrate 30 years of advocacy under Carol’s dedicated leadership. When Carol organized the Coalition, there were dedicated disability advocates in Tennessee, and good work was being done to improve opportunities for people with disabilities. But Tennessee lacked an organized disability movement, a structure to enable collective action that would move our state forward. That was the need that Carol recognized, and she brought her formidable talents to the creation and development of the Disability Coalition. The coalition recognizes that disabilities are distinctive, and it is founded on respect for the uniqueness of every person with a disability. But it also reflects an understanding that, when everyone brings their gifts and insights to the table, the results are better for all. The Coalition has enabled people with disabilities to make their voices heard, and to create opportunities where none existed before. It is impossible to count all of the ways our state is better, and lives are better, because of the Tennessee Disability Coalition. Carol has been crucial to the Coalition’s success.