Disability EmpowHer Network
Empowering disabled young women to take control of their lives and have the confidence to lead.

Project Description
What is Disability EmpowHer Network?
Disability EmpowHer Network empowers young women with disabilities through transformational learning experiences. We recognize that disabled youth have significantly lower high school graduation rates and higher unemployment rates than their nondisabled peers. We know that people with disabilities are 2-4 times more likely to die or be critically injured in a disaster, and that women with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. We also know that disabled girls to not have disabled adult role models to be positive influences in their lives.
Through a multi-stage skill-building, empowerment, and mentoring program, we address all of these issues while also empowering disabled young women to take control of their lives and have the confidence to lead.
How does the program work?
Phase 1: Through a camping program, young disabled women discover basic survival skills, further develop their life skills, practice leadership, increase their independence and become more confident.
Phase 2: While camping, the girls meet successful disabled women and begin their year long mentoring relationships. Together, the disabled woman and girls work on individualized inclusive disaster strategy projects, achieve goals, & build self esteem.
Phase 3: Girls come together one year later in Washington, D.C. to practice their leadership skills while speaking with our nation's leaders about inclusive disaster strategies.
We can't do this without your help.
We are raising $15,000 in order to start Phase 1 and 2 of our program! We will take disabled young women to a fully accessible campground in the Adirondacks. We'll be providing a fully-funded, week-long, life changing experience for disabled young women, filled with fun and challenging activities as well as several successful disabled women mentors from across the nation that the campers can learn from and form lifelong relationships with.
Our Team
Stephanie Woodward is an attorney, activist, and organizer passionate about Disability Rights and empowering people with disabilities. She has litigated disability rights cases, worked for two U.S. Senators, and led a disaster response ground team in Puerto Rico to assist disabled people in distress after Hurricane Maria. As a proud disabled woman, Stephanie credits her success to mentoring she received from member of the Disability Community starting in her early twenties and is committed to helping even more girls and young women with disabilities through mentoring.
Leah Smith has a decade's worth of experience working in the disability rights movement, all of which show her passion for equality for those at the margins. Leah has done a great deal of work at the intersection of media and disability justice, from managing an anti-suicide campaign aimed specifically towards people with disabilities to developing a national disability film festival looking at the institutional bias to spearheading efforts to de-stigmatize dwarfism to efforts to dismantle the stereotypes that the media places on disabled women. It has been through community with other women with disabilities that Leah has learned the most and is fully committed to ensuring that the next generation of disabled women have that same opportunity.
Portlight Strategies, Inc. All donations to Disability EmpowHer Network are tax-deductible thanks to our fiscal sponsor, Portlight Strategies, Inc. Portlight is a 501(c)3 which has been at the forefront of serving disabled people before, during, and in the aftermath of disasters for over 20 years and is proud to help the next generation of woman become leaders through inclusive disaster planning.
THANK YOU!
Whether you are able to give $5, $50, $500, or $5000, we thank you for joining the Disability EmpowHer Network! Your Contribution will be going directly to empowering young women with disabilities and we very much appreciate your support! Thank you!
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Where will my money go?
In order to provide a fully accessible experience for young women with disabilities, your donation will go to funding Phase 1 and Phase 2 of our program which includes a week-long, life changing experience at a fully accessible campground in the Adirondacks. The week will be filled with fun and challenging activities that will help the disabled young women learn survival skills, independent living skills, and leadership skills. We will also be bringing in successful disabled women from across the nation during this week to serve as mentors so that the campers can learn from these women and form lifelong relationships with them. After the week has ended, we will stay in contact with each camper throughout the next year, assigning each girl a mentor to connect with on a monthly basis to help them continue to learn and grow.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes! Portlight Strategies, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) and is our fiscal sponsor. Through Portlight, any donation to Disability EmpowHer Network is tax-deductible. Donation receipts will be sent out after the campaign ends.











Charlee is turning 10 and she has generously donated her birthday to us! Instead of gifts, Charlee is asking for donations to Disability EmpowHer Network.
Charlee's goal is to raise $300 for Disability EmpowHer Network!
If Charlee reaches her goal, we will send Charlee a special dinner that she really loves: Spaghetti Pizza! You read that right - pizza topped with spaghetti!!
All donors will get a shout out on our social media & a picture of Charlee eating her Spaghetti Pizza!
Your support means everything to us. We are so thankful for your donation (of any amount - truly, every dollar counts!) and honored to have your support as we take on this new chapter in starting Disability EmpowHer Network to mentor and encourage young women with disabilities to become leaders!
Thank you in advance!
Leah & Stephanie
We'll give you a shout out on Disability EmpowHer Network’s Facebook and instagram! #thankyou

You asked and we answered! For our supporters who love a hot cuppa, we would love to thank you with this "When disabled girls lead, we all succeed" mug!
Includes free shipping and a social media shout out!
Please include your shipping address!
One of us (Stephanie or Leah) will send you a handwritten thank you note to express our appreciation of you supporting our new organization & we’ll be sure to include something special with the note!
Plus a social media shout out!
Be sure to include your address so we can send you a thank you!

Support disabled young women with pride! Wear this face mask and show the world how you’re helping to empower women with disabilities!
Plus a social media shout out and a thank you note from a founder!
Be sure to include your address so we can send your mask!
One of our young leaders will write you a note during their camping trip to thank you for helping them be a part of this program!
(Be sure to include your address in the information!)
Plus a social media shout out, a facemask, and a thank you from a founder!

These girls’ futures are looking bright thanks to your support – let us brighten up your space with a battery operated lantern!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, and a face mask!
Be sure to include your address in the information!

What is camping without a camping chair? We’d LOVE to thank you by sending you a custom Disability EmpowHer Network camping chair to take with you to picnics, outdoor movies, and any other adventures you seek!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, and a face mask!
Be sure to include your address in the information!
We cannot thank you enough for believing in us and believing in young women with disabilities! We want to recognize your support by featuring you as a sponsor on our website and giving you a special shout out in our summer program recap video!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, camping chair and a face mask!
You'll also receive a plaque for being an inaugural sponsor of Disability EmpowHer Network!
Be sure to include your address in the information!
By making this donation, your contribution will cover the entire travel and program costs for one camper this summer. The camper will write you a letter about her summer experience, as well as a follow up letter about her disaster preparedness project!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, camping chair, website and video shoutout, and a face mask!
You'll also receive a bigger plaque for being an inaugural sponsor of Disability EmpowHer Network!
Be sure to include your address in the information!
By making this donation, you will be the sponsor of our t-shirts which will be given to each camper. Your name and/or logo will be on each t-shirt!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, camping chair, website and video shoutout, and a face mask!
You'll also receive the biggest plaque for being an inaugural sponsor of Disability EmpowHer Network!
Be sure to include your address in the information!

Joe is donating his FACE to Disability EmpowHer Network.
Joe's goal is to raise $500 for Disability EmpowHer Network, and when he does, Joe will shave his face to have a monkey-tail beard! Joe will teach one week of university classes with his fancy face AND attend at least one professional meeting with said beard.
He will, of course, post photo evidence of his new face for everyone to enjoy.
Donors can contribute any amount to help make a BIG difference, not only to girls with disabilities, but to Joe's face!
Donors will also receive recognition on our Facebook and Instagram!
Rewards

Charlee is turning 10 and she has generously donated her birthday to us! Instead of gifts, Charlee is asking for donations to Disability EmpowHer Network.
Charlee's goal is to raise $300 for Disability EmpowHer Network!
If Charlee reaches her goal, we will send Charlee a special dinner that she really loves: Spaghetti Pizza! You read that right - pizza topped with spaghetti!!
All donors will get a shout out on our social media & a picture of Charlee eating her Spaghetti Pizza!
Your support means everything to us. We are so thankful for your donation (of any amount - truly, every dollar counts!) and honored to have your support as we take on this new chapter in starting Disability EmpowHer Network to mentor and encourage young women with disabilities to become leaders!
Thank you in advance!
Leah & Stephanie
We'll give you a shout out on Disability EmpowHer Network’s Facebook and instagram! #thankyou

You asked and we answered! For our supporters who love a hot cuppa, we would love to thank you with this "When disabled girls lead, we all succeed" mug!
Includes free shipping and a social media shout out!
Please include your shipping address!
One of us (Stephanie or Leah) will send you a handwritten thank you note to express our appreciation of you supporting our new organization & we’ll be sure to include something special with the note!
Plus a social media shout out!
Be sure to include your address so we can send you a thank you!

Support disabled young women with pride! Wear this face mask and show the world how you’re helping to empower women with disabilities!
Plus a social media shout out and a thank you note from a founder!
Be sure to include your address so we can send your mask!
One of our young leaders will write you a note during their camping trip to thank you for helping them be a part of this program!
(Be sure to include your address in the information!)
Plus a social media shout out, a facemask, and a thank you from a founder!

These girls’ futures are looking bright thanks to your support – let us brighten up your space with a battery operated lantern!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, and a face mask!
Be sure to include your address in the information!

What is camping without a camping chair? We’d LOVE to thank you by sending you a custom Disability EmpowHer Network camping chair to take with you to picnics, outdoor movies, and any other adventures you seek!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, and a face mask!
Be sure to include your address in the information!
We cannot thank you enough for believing in us and believing in young women with disabilities! We want to recognize your support by featuring you as a sponsor on our website and giving you a special shout out in our summer program recap video!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, camping chair and a face mask!
You'll also receive a plaque for being an inaugural sponsor of Disability EmpowHer Network!
Be sure to include your address in the information!
By making this donation, your contribution will cover the entire travel and program costs for one camper this summer. The camper will write you a letter about her summer experience, as well as a follow up letter about her disaster preparedness project!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, camping chair, website and video shoutout, and a face mask!
You'll also receive a bigger plaque for being an inaugural sponsor of Disability EmpowHer Network!
Be sure to include your address in the information!
By making this donation, you will be the sponsor of our t-shirts which will be given to each camper. Your name and/or logo will be on each t-shirt!
Plus a social media shout out, both thank you notes, a lantern, camping chair, website and video shoutout, and a face mask!
You'll also receive the biggest plaque for being an inaugural sponsor of Disability EmpowHer Network!
Be sure to include your address in the information!

Joe is donating his FACE to Disability EmpowHer Network.
Joe's goal is to raise $500 for Disability EmpowHer Network, and when he does, Joe will shave his face to have a monkey-tail beard! Joe will teach one week of university classes with his fancy face AND attend at least one professional meeting with said beard.
He will, of course, post photo evidence of his new face for everyone to enjoy.
Donors can contribute any amount to help make a BIG difference, not only to girls with disabilities, but to Joe's face!
Donors will also receive recognition on our Facebook and Instagram!