OUR 2022-2023 FELLOW
Say hello to Heidi!
A mother, advocate, teacher and a member of a growing community working to promote inclusion of Oregonians with IDD. We are thrilled to introduce Heidi as the 2022 Fellow at The Kathryn Weit Foundation.
Similar to the Foundation’s namesake, 2022 Kathryn Weit Foundation Fellow Heidi Robinson started her career as a teacher. She taught 5th grade in Mesa, Ariz., where she discovered how to engage all learners in an inclusive classroom. She has a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management from Brigham Young University and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from University of Phoenix.
But over the last 12+ years, since giving birth to her daughter, Izzy, who experiences Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Robinson has shared her expertise behind the scenes, as both a mom and a fierce advocate for the I/DD community. She’s witnessed firsthand the inequities people experiencing disability face — in education, healthcare, housing, recreational activities and more — and she’s fought back, with a clear passion for social justice and disability services.
Robinson led the SpEd Parent Group at her local elementary school in Hillsboro, Ore., working with the district office to facilitate a culture of inclusion, providing families access to important resources, and advocating for professional development on inclusive practices. She volunteers with the Oregon DD Coalition, advocating for legislation that impacts the I/DD community at a local and national level. She’s also served on FACT’s Parent Action Committee and received their Family Leader Award in 2017.
As the first Kathryn Weit Foundation Fellow, Robinson’s focus this year (starting in September) will be researching and working with the I/DD community to create inclusive housing policy and residential services for Oregonians with I/DD.
