OUR 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 

With each gift of time, talent, and treasure this year; the love and support gifted to disABILITYsa enabled a continued impact on the San Antonio community through connection, advancement, and strengthening:​

OPERATIONS UPDATE

  • In Oct., disABILITYsa celebrated 9 years as a 501c3 organization with a total of 18 years of service to the San Antonio community.
  • Our team fluctuated throughout the year, kicking off 2025 with a total of six staff and concluding the year with just 3.  We appreciate the service of our team members who are no longer with the organization, but continue to cheer us on... Matthew Lugo, Lori Day, Janice Perez, Christy Munson, Angela Hall, Dominick Morales, and Cris Sierra.  We are charging forward into 2026 with our Program Director, Cecilia Cross; Strategic Planning Manager, Britney Trevino; led by our Co-Founder & Executive Director, Melanie Cawthon. 
  • disABILITYsa received funding from the San Antonio Area Foundation to help launch a Disability Collective Impact Initiative in our community in 2026. 

EDUCATE & ENGAGE PROGRAMMING

  • Supported 96 families through our Navigation Services, helping families to connect to vital and supportive resources in the San Antonio community. We expanded to support individuals with disabilities with digital navigation programming as well.
  • Graduated 16 individuals with disabilities and allies from our EmpowerED Research Training Program, providing an introduction to community-based participatory research and how to apply the disability-lived experience and advance the considerations of people with disabilities in the research planning and implementation processes.
  • 5,000 attendees participated in Fiesta Especial Celebration Day.  disABILITYsa was recognized and awarded with the 2025 Best of Fiesta Contest "Best Fiesta Spirit" award, "Best Official Fiesta Event" award, and "Best Family Friendly Event" award out of 6 total awards. 
  • Enrolled 18 in the 2026 Fiesta Especial Royal Court raising $41,503
  • Early engagement of the Mayor at the 19th Annual AccessAbility fest ​
  • Disability Inclusion Programming partnered with Rodeo, Texas Parasport Regional Tournaments, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, Harlendale "What's Next Symposium", Fiesta Fiesta, Fiesta Especial Celebration Day, Battle of Flowers Parade, Art for Autism Event by The Arc of San Antonio, McNay Art Museum Family Day, Botanical Gardens Bootanica & Illuminate, Vibrant Works Easter Egg Hunt, Viva La Vida Assistive Technology Conference, San Antonio Zoo Dream Night, Alamo City Arts, and the Children's Ballet of San Antonio serving over 5,000 children and adults with disabilities and their support networks with our ticket coordination, Mobile & Portable Changing Rooms, Portable Sensory Room, sensory kit check out, ALS interpretation, and more! 

ADVANCE & STRENGTHEN PROGRAMMING

  • disABILITYsa was able to advance the considerations of people living with disabilities providing critical feedback, insight, and reflections from the disability community in San Antonio by assisting in Language and Policy creation for Local Planning:
    • Complete Street Policy
    • San Antonio Bike Plan
    • Transit Oriented Design Framework
    • CARE Initiative w/ COSA Metro
  • Service & Leadership
    • D7 Appointee to the Disability Access Advisory Committee
    • Housing Commission Appointment to the Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing and Public Engagement & Outreach Subcommittees
    • D4 Appointee to the Multimodal Transportation Commission
    • MPO appointment to ATAC
  • disabilitySTRONG
    • 12 EmpowerAccess Graduates
    • Disability-friendly Docent Training for the McNay Art Museum
    • 6 Disability-friendly Healthcare Provider Trainings building awareness for 150 health care workers across San Antonio.
  • Honored with the D7 Leadership Award by City Problem Solvers Inc.
  • After years of moving the needle from 2 to 5 locations offer ASL, Bexar County voted to purchase equipment to make ASL available for voters in all 300+ voting locations this year. 
  • Partnered with UTSA to continue community-based research project to support improved access to healthcare facilities for people who are blind or have low vision.

IN THE NEWS

ANNUAL PROGRAM REPORTS

2025 Disability Inclusion Resource Center Annual Report
File Size: 210 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
2025 Mobile Changing Unit Annual Report
File Size: 188 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
2025 Fiesta Especial Annual Report.pdf
File Size: 641 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Donation Button
disABILITYsa PayPal Giving Fund
disABILITYsa