2026 Annual Conference on Independent Living
July 20-23, 2026
Grand Hyatt, Washington, DC
Presented by the National Council on Independent Living
Opening Plenary: Mia Ives-Rublee
Mia Ives-Rublee is currently the senior director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. As a policy consultant, advocate, and organizer, she speaks about disability and civil rights issues on both the national and international stage.
She obtained her bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in social work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mia began her career at the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, where she helped disabled people obtain employment and community services. She also worked at UNC as a research assistant studying the impacts of first responders providing services during a mental health crisis and at the EEOC as a confidential assistant to Commissioner Chai Feldblum.
Mia gained recognition when she started community organizing nationally.
That recognition allowed her to become a consultant to numerous progressive organizations to design and evaluate to be more inclusive of disabled people.
Mia also has extensive experience working on political campaigns, including the Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden’s campaigns for President. Mia was appointed by President Biden to the President’s Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in 2020 and served until the beginning of 2025.
She is currently a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.
Luncheon Keynote: Kelly Buckland
Kelly Buckland is a prominent American disability rights leader. He recently served as a Disability Advisor at the U.S. Department of Transportation. A power wheelchair user with quadriplegia, he previously served as the long-time Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living (2009–2021) and has been a leading voice for disability rights since 1979.
Career Background: Started at Idaho’s Protection and Advocacy system, later running the Boise Centers for Independent Living (LINC) and the Idaho State Independent Living Council for over 20 years.
Education: Holds a BA in Social Work from Boise State University (1978) and a master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from Drake University (1988).
Accomplishments: Inducted into the National Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame (2007) and awarded the Hewlett-Packard Human Rights Leadership Award. Voted outstanding alumni at Boise State University, and outstanding alumni at Drake University.
Advocacy Focus: Dedicated to the “independent living philosophy,” advocating that people with disabilities should live independently and make their own choices.
Closing Plenary: Dr. Victor Pineda
Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda is the Executive Director of the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, California—the world’s first Center for Independent Living and a historic birthplace of the global disability rights movement. At CIL, Dr. Pineda leads a dynamic team committed to advancing disability justice, accessibility, and community empowerment through innovative programs and bold advocacy.
A lifelong advocate for disability rights, Dr. Pineda has dedicated his career to building a more inclusive society where people with disabilities have equal access to education, healthcare, civic life, and economic opportunity. His leadership at CIL reflects his belief in centering disabled voices and ensuring systems are shaped by those they are meant to serve.
Beyond his leadership at CIL, Dr. Pineda is a global human rights expert, urban planner, and educator. He has advised institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and Save the Children, helping shape policies that uphold the rights of children and individuals with disabilities. His international work complements his local efforts, reinforcing his vision for disability-inclusive development across communities and systems.
Dr. Pineda holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from UCLA and is the author of Building the Inclusive City. He also directs the Inclusive Cities Lab at UC Berkeley and serves as a Senior Fellow at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government.
