Lola Kernell 

Lola Kernell has served as the Advocacy Coordinator for the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD) since November 2023. In her role, she develops innovative advocacy initiatives and meaningful statewide outreach efforts that empower self-advocates and strengthen disability advocacy across Kansas. As a self-advocate with Down syndrome, Lola brings her personal experiences into her work at KCDD.

Lola leads several key KCDD initiatives, including the Change Agent Program, which equips self-advocates with tools and opportunities to amplify their voices and engage in systems change efforts. She also coordinates KCDD’s Annual Self-Advocacy Day at the Capitol, helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities connect directly with state legislators and participate in the legislative process.

Additionally, Lola plays a leading role in organizing the annual SPEAK Up! Conference, which brings together self-advocates, professionals, caregivers, and family members from across the state. SPEAK stands for Self-Advocates Promoting Empowerment and Access in Kansas. To further strengthen the conference’s impact and accessibility, she helped establish a statewide planning committee to guide conference development and community engagement.

Lola regularly provides Advocacy 101 trainings for self-advocates, families, and caregivers, helping participants build confidence and develop effective advocacy skills. She also helped support the development and implementation of KCDD’s Advocacy Action Alert System, an initiative designed to increase civic engagement by allowing individuals to easily contact legislators, participate in advocacy campaigns, share lived experiences, and take action on disability policy issues.

Passionate about improving the lives of Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, Lola has provided testimony and advocacy on disability rights legislation, including the Supported Decision-Making Bill and the Born to Invest Act, which are both now Kansas laws. She also led the advocacy campaign supporting prenatal and postnatal legislation requiring families to receive hopeful, accurate, and up-to-date information following a child’s diagnosis. Following the passage of the legislation, Lola now leads a diverse statewide workgroup focused on developing and distributing those important educational materials.