Class of 2020

“Mentoring provides an opportunity for sharing experiences in a way that might be helpful to others. I’m grateful for the mentors I’ve had throughout my life as well as the opportunities I’ve had to be a mentor.”

We are proud to induct Sharon daVanport into the Susan Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame.

Sharon daVanport is Founder and Executive Director of the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network (AWN). Sharon’s work encompasses several aspects of the wider disability justice movement, including steering committee member of the National Disability Leadership Alliance, represents AWN on the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, serves as treasurer for Crushing Colonialism, and is on the advisory board for Felicity House in NYC. Sharon is co-editor of Sincerely, Your Autistic Child(March 2021) published by Beacon Press. They have spoken before the United Nations and the White House and received recognition from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network for their contribution to the self-advocacy movement, and the Autism Society of America for outstanding literary work of the year. Outside of Sharon’s work in autistic advocacy, they have nearly a decade of experience as a social worker, and they are a parent of four diversely neurodivergent adults.