Presented by:
Leigh Anne McKingsley and James Meadours
About the Presenters
Leigh Anne McKingsley (formerly Davis) is Senior Director of Disability and Justice Initiatives at The Arc of the United States and directs The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability® (NCCJD®). With 27 years of experience working at the intersection of intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) and criminal justice, she continually strives to build stronger lines of open communication and understanding between these two worlds. Her mission is to ensure that people with IDD have a platform and the training they need to advocate for themselves, especially as citizens who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system as both victims or suspects, defendants and inmates. As a childhood survivor of sexual abuse in her own home, she intuitively understands and grapples with the deep complexities inherent in the criminal justice system for both crime victims and defendants and is compelled to educate others about the unique challenges people with IDD face in a system where they are too often misunderstood, invisible and forgotten. Ms. McKingsley works from a home office in Arlington, Texas. She holds a B.S.W (Bachelor of Science in Social Work), M.S.S.W. (Master of Science in Social Work), and M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration) from the University of Texas at Arlington.
For decades, James Meadours has been a tireless advocate and powerful voice for the rights of people with IDD to live full lives in the community. James has held many leadership positions within the disability rights field. He is the current President of Texas Advocates and a recipient of The Arc’s Catalyst award. He was recently appointed to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and the Centene National Disability Advisory Council. James is a survivor of sexual assault who has spoken out to shed light on this important issue and let other survivors know that they are not alone. He was featured in NPR’s series Abused and Betrayed in 2018 and in the 1 in 6 project. James served as Development Team Co-Lead for Seen and Heard: IDD Community, a project funded by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities addressing the sexual assault epidemic occurring among people with IDD. James is the Outreach and Advocacy Lead for Strategic Education Solutions. In this position, he is responsible for presenting the team’s work at meetings and conferences, recruiting and helping train new team members, and building partnerships with other organizations.