Josie K. Vano (they/she) is disabled queer artist, educator, accessibility advocate, and Expressive Arts Therapist-in-Training, currently serving as Accessibility Coordinator for Fringe Benefits. They are dedicated to promoting access equity for the disability community in the arts and beyond.

 

At Kent State University, they collaborated with the office of Career Exploration and Development to expand career programming for students with disabilities to include educating students on their rights to accommodations in the workplace, developing their self-advocacy skills, and fostering peer connections among disabled students.

 

Josie has received local and international recognition for their research examining trends in disability inclusion, emphasizing the importance of education and empathy. As a McNair scholar, they explored disability inclusion in theatre, presenting their findings at University of Washington’s annual GEG Research Symposium.

 

In addition to research and program development, Josie works as an accessibility consultant and disability educator, offering workshops and direct support to a broad range of clients: from disabled individuals to student groups, and from Girl Scout troops to Fortune 500 companies.

 

Currently, she leads ACES Creative Arts Club at NAMI Lake County OH, using creative arts activities to foster connection and teach coping skills to middle schoolers. In their free time, Josie is actively involved with their local community theatre, where they recently developed and directed the inaugural Youth Summer Theatre Camp. She is also a student member of the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA).