Advocating, Bridge Building, Lifting, Empowering Inclusion for Everyone

For many individuals with significant mobility challenges, existing in-store options are limited. Standard shopping carts are not designed for seated riders. As a result, many people are excluded from a simple activity: shopping alongside their family.

ABLE Bridges works directly with local retailers to bring these carts into stores in order to create a more inclusive environment where individuals with disabilities can participate in daily life with dignity and connection. By focusing on practical, high- impact solutions, ABLE Bridges is creating meaningful change in the community from day one.

The Accessibility Toolkit Program provides customized, individual kits designed to support people living with disabilities in their daily lives and their families. Each toolkit is tailored to the person's  specific needs, whether related to mobility, sensory sensitivities, communication, vision, or hearing, and includes practical tools that promote independence, safety, and comfort. Each kit reflects each individual's and their family's unique challenges and preferences.

The founder of ABLE Bridges, wife and mother of 2, spent 15 years as an educator, before becoming a full-time caregiver to her son, Clay, who was diagnosed with trisomy 10, monosomy 2 shortly before his first birthday. This diagnosis resulted in major developmental delays and chronic health issues. Through her and her family's  personal journey, she experienced firsthand the everyday barriers that can make simple, meaningful moments feel out of reach for families navigating a disability.

Motivated by both her professional background and lived experience, she created ABLE Bridges to help close those gaps. Her vision is to build a more inclusive community where individuals with disabilities and their families can fully participate in ordinary, everyday activities with dignity, support, and connection.

Through ABLE Bridges, she is committed to advocating, bridge-building, lifting, and empowering others, ensuring that no family feels excluded from the moments that matter most. Elizabeth currently resides in Hot Springs Village, AR.

Kim is a devoted wife and mother of four, several of whom live with hidden disabilities, giving her a deeply personal understanding of the challenges families face in navigating everyday environments. As a special education teacher based in Jonesboro, AR, she has witnessed firsthand how a lack of inclusion can create barriers not only for individuals, but for entire families.

Her passion for advocacy and inclusion led her to be the very first to say yes when invited to join the board of ABLE Bridges. She recognized immediately the importance of creating spaces where all individuals are seen, supported, and able to fully participate in daily life.

She holds a Master's degree in Social Work as well as Special Education, bringing both professional expertise and lived experience to her role. Her unique perspective allows her to approach accessibility with compassion, insight, and a strong commitment to meaningful change.

Shamal is a dedicated Jonesboro, AR community leader, advocate, and activist with a deep personal commitment to inclusion and dignity for all individuals, regardless of ability or special needs. As someone actively involved in raising a child with autism, he brings both lived experience and compassion to his work, shaping his understanding of the real challenges families face every day.

His advocacy is rooted in the belief that every person deserves to be fully included in their community, supported in their differences, and given equal opportunity to thrive. This passion has guided his service and leadership across local initiatives focused on equality for all.

He works with people every day, and tries to help them with anything he can, regardless of disability or any other limitation. His vision is a community where differences are not barriers, but valued aspects of a more compassionate and connected society.

 Kelly brings a dynamic blend of communication, compassion, and advocacy to the ABLE Bridges Board of Directors, as a mom, friend, and professional. Currently a radio broadcaster in NEA, she uses her voice not only to inform and entertain, but also to uplift and connect with her community in meaningful ways.

Before transitioning into broadcasting, she served as a Physical Education teacher, where she developed a strong foundation in encouraging confidence, teamwork, and personal growth in students. She later led an after school program, where her natural gift for inclusion truly shined. Her genuine care and deep empathy for children with special needs set her apart, and she consistently went above and beyond to ensure every child felt seen, valued, and supported. Advocacy is not something she was taught, it is something that comes naturally to her. She instinctively stands in the gap for others, championing dignity, accessibility, and belonging for all.

Her heart for people and her commitment to inclusion align beautifully with the mission of ABLE Bridges, and she is a powerful voice in advancing a more compassionate and accessible community.

Lindsey is passionate about accessibility because it has been woven throughout her life. As a child, her younger brother, Luke, was diagnosed with Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. Although his life was tragically short, her parents were determined to give him the fullest life possible outside of a hospital setting. That experience gave Lindsey an early understanding of the importance of accessibility, inclusion, and dignity. Her perspective deepened as a parent to two autistic children. While both are highly intelligent and capable, Lindsey has seen firsthand how invisible needs and accommodations can be overlooked. These experiences have strengthened her commitment to advocating for communities where individuals of all abilities are seen, supported, and included.

Lindsey is an employee-owner and holds various roles in leadership at Terracon Consultants, where she has been fortunate to pair her professional work with community service through the support of the Terracon Foundation. She lives in Paragould, Arkansas, with her husband and children and is honored to serve ABLE Bridges through advocacy and a personal commitment to accessibility and inclusion.