TASH, an international leader in disability advocacy, has presented April Regester, an alumna from UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School, with a 2019 TASH Board of Directors Award. Regester served on the TASH Board of Directors from 2017-19. The TASH Board of Directors includes a diverse array of individuals, including researchers, professionals, direct service workers, family members and people with disabilities, all whom share a commitment to help create quality lives for people with disabilities.
As a leader in disability advocacy for 40 years, the mission of TASH is to promote the full inclusion and participation of children and adults with significant disabilities in every aspect of their community, and to eliminate the social injustices that diminish human rights. These things are accomplished through collaboration among self-advocates, families, professionals, policy-makers, advocates and many others who seek to promote equity, opportunity and inclusion.
Regester is a tenured Associate Professor at University of Missouri, St. Louis, where she researches friendship and social supports for severely disabled people, autism, inclusive education, and college and adult life skills for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Supported Living. Regester conducted a Post Doctoral Fellowship at the UCSB Koegel Autism Center, and completed her Ph.D. in Special Education, Disabilities and Risk Studies in the Department of Education in 2009, along with a M.A. in Special Education and a Preliminary Education Specialist Credential from the Teacher Education Program.