Building the next generation of leaders in the disabilities movement

The results from this study highlight ways that the disabilities community within the USA can begin to further promote the numbers and qualities of its leaders. Twenty‐one grassroots and statewide leaders of the disabilities movement in one state described how they became a leader and identified ways that the disabilities movement can more effectively promote leadership within its ranks. Overall, our informants highlighted the need for the disabilities movement to re‐examine its current definitions of and approaches to leadership development. They described the need for a more collective, versus individualistic, approach to leadership within the disabilities movement and the adoption of a more integrated, action learning approach to leadership development. Implications for the disabilities movement are discussed.