“As Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, there was no greater advocate for persons with disabilities than JR. He was my leader of choice for dependable, reliable and current information affecting persons with disabilities. Together we did good things for the state of Florida.”
Dr. JR Harding is a recognized disability leader from both personal and professional experiences. As a two-time quadriplegic, author of “Now What?” and “ADA Adventure,” accessibility expert and international speaker, he has contributed for over 30 years to national, state and community policy for the independence and self-sufficiency of persons with disabilities. He has served under two US Presidents and four Florida Governors and continuously serves on a number of community-based organizations. This service currently includes: The Able Trust (Ambassador), Evergreen Life Services (Director), The Florida Alliance for Assistive Service and Technology (FAAST) (Director), The Florida Network on Disabilities (Director) and the Delta Disability Advisory Board (member). He is the first person with a significant disability to graduate from both Leadership Florida and Leadership Tallahassee, and he is also a co-founder of Florida Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). He completed his doctorate from Florida State University (FSU) in Higher Education and Public Policy. Through his community work, he co-founded the Florida Disability Mentoring Day, which is considered the best in the country. He has also personally secured nearly $1 million in corporate sponsorships to advance meaningful mentoring experiences for Floridians with disabilities. JR is married and works full-time for the state of Florida with the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD).