Eddie Rea
Eddie Rea is a young emerging disability rights leader from Fresno, California. In 2005 he attended the annual Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF). Shortly after, he became one of the founding members of the YLF Alumni Alliance.
“My family never talked about my learning disability unless it had to do with me getting extra help in school. My disability hasn’t limited me, but I use to ignore it because no one ever took the time to teach me anything positive about it. When I attended YLF in 2005 and learned about all the exciting opportunities available to youth and adults with disabilities, I couldn’t wait to get started! YLF was not only a unique learning experience for me, it allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and become a leader in the disability community. What YLF taught me about advocacy and giving back makes me want to help other students with disabilities reach their potential.”
After high school, Eddie attended Reedley College. Because of his work in the campus community, he was awarded Outstanding Student Leader and DSP&S Student of the Year in 2007. He relocated to Sacramento in the summer of 2007 and began attending American River College. During this time he was appointed to serve as a council member to the State Independent Living Council (SILC). Eddie was hired as CFILC’s Youth Organizer in April 2008. Eddie actively seeks opportunities to educate policy makers on issues impacting students with disabilities. Eddie has presented many keynotes on a variety of subjects. He brings a youth perspective to a variety of topics including: civil rights, education, disaster preparedness, youth transition, and employment.
Eddie currently serves as a Student Commissioner for the California Department of Education, Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) and represents California on the National Council on Disability, Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). In addition, he has received recognition from the State of California Department of Rehabilitation, the Governor’s Office, State Senators, and Assembly Members.