Florida's Go To Source for Self-Advocacy News & Information
Chatequa Pinkston
has the heart to encourage individuals with disabilities through her life experiences. She was born with cerebral palsy. She earned a master's degree in computer science from the University of South Florida. She is an entrepreneur, an ordained minister, an author of several self-published books, and a public speaker. Chatequa is the founder of Hidden Treasures Ministries, which works to empower people with disabilities. She also serves on several other disability-related boards.
Michelle Zeman
was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder-not other specified when she was three years old and was considered “borderline severe.” Despite being told she would never be a functioning member of society, she earned her master’s degree in applied behavior analysis with an emphasis in autism and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2016. She discovered the value of self-advocacy and activism through her career in behavior analysis and her time in Partners in Policymaking (as she is a 2023 graduate). She is passionate about policy change in mental health services and disability training for all community workers.
LeQuina Knox
LeQuina has cerebral palsy and when she was in elementary school, her teacher told her mother she would never read past a third-grade level. Today, she is not just an avid reader but also a talented writer, educator, and content creator. She holds a master's degree in liberal arts from the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. An active member of her community, LeQuina serves on multiple boards, including the Committee Advocating for Persons with Impairments and the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities at USF's advisory committee. She is an ABLE United Ambassador and Partners in Policymaking program 2025 graduate. LeQuina is also the first recipient of the Ms. Wheelchair Florida Influencer Award and the creative voice behind Black Girl Rolling, a platform dedicated to uplifting individuals with disabilities, particularly those who are underrepresented in the disability community.
Amanda Ranochak
Amanda "Mandy" Ranochak is a founding member and former president of MAGICAL Self Advocates, FL SAND’s self-advocacy group in Greater Orlando. Born legally blind and later diagnosed as autistic, Mandy began her journey in self-advocacy after a friend tricked her into presenting an "About Me Box" at a self-advocacy conference in Rhode Island during college. A graduate of Partners in Policymaking (PIP) 2024 and recipient of PIP's Alan C. Wesley Award, she holds an associate's degree in advertising from Johnson & Wales University. Mandy also blogs for "The Mighty," works as an administrative assistant for a social services agency, and creates TikToks for United Against Poverty Orlando in her spare time.