Member Spotlight 

Name: Katherine E. McDonald, PhD

Location: Syracuse, NY

Member since: 2004

Employment: Associate Professor of Public Health at Syracuse University

Why did you join AAIDD? I wanted to be connected with others committed to working with people with developmental disabilities to improve their lives.

Why did you choose the field of intellectual disability? 
When I was younger, I lived in intentional community with people with intellectual disability (in l’Arche communities in Syracuse, New York and outside of Geneva, Switzerland). There I developed lifelong relationships, and learned about the pressing need to work with people with intellectual disability to ensure their rights and opportunities to fully belong. Paired with my family experience with disability, I couldn’t imagine a more important social issue to focus on. My life has been enriched greatly by these friendships and opportunities to work toward a more just society.