Meet Our New AAPD Intern: Cheri Montgomery!

Hi everyone! My name is Cheri Montgomery, and I'm thrilled to introduce myself as the new American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) intern! I will be working alongside Little Lobbyists until December 2026. I am deeply passionate about advocating with the disability community, and I cannot wait to spend the next few months serving and learning alongside this incredible community.

A New Chapter in My Journey

My path to advocacy began right at the bedside. For 20 years, I served as a private duty nurse specializing in caring for medically complex and disabled children. In that role, I didn't just witness the medical side of care—I experienced the daily joys, the major milestones, and the systemic barriers that children with disabilities and their families navigate every single day.

Eventually, my own journey took an unexpected pivot when mobility challenges made hands-on nursing too difficult. The reason: a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

While living with MS meant stepping away from direct bedside nursing, it only deepened my commitment to advocacy. Experiencing disability firsthand didn't stop my mission—it fueled it. I realized I wanted to fight for structural change, pairing two decades of healthcare knowledge with systemic advocacy.

To equip myself with the right tools for this next chapter, I returned to school and earned my Master’s degree in Communication from Missouri State University. My goal was simple: combine my nursing expertise and my lived experience as a person with a disability with the strategic communication skills needed to lift up vulnerable voices.

Amplifying Voices in Missouri & Beyond

Over the past three years, I’ve poured my heart into local and state-level advocacy across Missouri:

●      Legislative Advocacy: Serving on the Disability Rights Legislative Day (DRLD) committee, I’ve had the privilege of delivering Capitol speeches to rally our community and educate lawmakers. Earlier this year, I was also invited to speak at an Independent Living advocacy event in Jefferson City.

●      Community Leadership: I was recently elected to the Board of Directors for empower: abilities, following two years of volunteering with the Restaurant Access Point (RAP) committee to make local restaurants spaces accessible to all.

●      Civic Engagement: As a Rev-UP grant recipient and deputized voter registrar in Missouri, I co-host community events to register voters and lead dialogue around overcoming the specific barriers voters with disabilities encounter at the polls.

Why Little Lobbyists?

When AAPD gave me the opportunity to select my internship placement, I knew immediately that my heart belonged with Little Lobbyists. Your mission to protect, advocate for, and celebrate medically complex children aligns directly with my life's work and my core values.

Beyond Advocacy

When I step away from advocacy work, my favorite place to be is with my family. I am blessed to be married to my husband—my biggest supporter, who stands by me through every step of this journey—and together we are the proud parents of five wonderful adult children.

To relax and recharge, you’ll often find me tending to my garden, listening to smooth jazz, or writing poetry and short stories. I truly believe in the power of creative expression and quiet moments to ground us, heal us, and keep our passion burning bright.

Looking Ahead

I am so looking forward to learning from and collaborating with the families, partners, and champions of Little Lobbyists. Thank you for welcoming me into your community.