Katie Keiling Arnold

Katie Arnold is a strong disability advocate with a sense of social justice. Her work impacts the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families in Illinois and nationally. Katie is a faculty member in the Department of Disability and Human Development (IDHD) at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Since 2002, Katie has been part of the IDHD at UIC, Illinois’ University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). She conducts inclusive research on family support, future planning, and self-determination of people with I/DD. She serves on numerous Boards and committees. Katie served as the founding Executive Director of the Sibling Leadership Network (SLN) from 2012-2022. She grounds her work in her experience living in L'Arche, a community based on mutual relationships between people with and without disabilities. Katie truly immerses herself in the disability community to listen deeply, learn from others and guide her work. With a long commitment to community education and information dissemination, Katie builds bridges between academia and the community.