Lisa Drennan has a 39-year career supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be active and engaged within their community.

Starting as a direct support professional at New England Village, a residential community for adults with developmental disabilities, she climbed the ranks and expanded her experience to be named the Director of the Sollar Wellness Center, a first-of-it-kind building offering aquatics, fitness, music, art and education specifically designed to meet the needs of persons with developmental disabilities.

In 2014, she joined the South Shore YMCA as the first-ever Association Director of Inclusion. Through innovative program development, creation and execution of comprehensive staff training and building community partnerships she was recognized as a leader in the field of social and recreational inclusion for persons with diverse abilities. Lisa was appointed as the National Chairperson of the Y-USA’s Diverse Abilities Working Group providing a platform of learning and sharing of best practices for Y’s across the country. In 2018 Lisa started her own company, MERGE Inclusion Consulting where she provides comprehensive consultation, staff training and systems implementation to community entities committed to recreation, sport and enrichment program inclusion.

She graduated from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont with a Psychology degree. She lives with her family in Pembroke, Massachusetts and is an avid fitness enthusiast who enjoys outdoor adventure activities.

During this episode, we discuss:

• Lisa’s first job working with people with disabilities at the age of 17 at New England Village
• Her role at the South Shore YMCA that inspired the launch of her business
• How she became known as an expert in this space and community
• The organizations she works with and what she enjoys about working with them
• Advice for organizations who are ready to incorporate inclusive practices
• Recommended resources for becoming inclusive
• How Lisa continues to learn about new developments in the space

And more. Tune into this episode to discover the importance of building inclusive environments for all.

Access the full transcript here.

Watch the episode on YouTube here.

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