Meet ADDPC Intern Raylah Pillar, Guest Writer

Raylah Pillar started with ADDPC in August 2021 as a graduate student intern. She is currently earning a Master's in Social Work and a graduate certificate in Disability Studies from Arizona State University and has over a decade of experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She is the Program Manager of DTA & Employment Services at the newest location of The Opportunity Tree, in Avondale, Arizona. The core of Raylah's social work practice is the idea of ‘nothing about us without us’ and works every day to center the voices of people who have a disability in conversations and decisions about their own lives. Concepts like bodily autonomy, informed consent and disability justice are incorporated into her work to create spaces for people with IDD to engage in more comprehensive higher education, healthy relationships, personal advocacy and collective policymaking. In her personal life, Raylah spends time with her partner, Stephen, their two dogs, and over 100 indoor plants.