MI-DDI announces 2026 Jane Vermeulen Leadership Award winner

The Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute (MI-DDI) at Wayne State University is pleased to announce the 2026 recipient of the Jane Vermeulen Leadership Award, which recognizes a person with a disability who exhibits leadership in their local community and the larger disability community. The award was established in memory of Jane "Janey" Vermeulen, who died in 2022.

Vermeulen was an ardent supporter of self-determination, the ability for those with disabilities to take action in their lives to get the things they want and need. This includes making decisions about where they live and work, and all other daily choices that those without disabilities make without a second thought. She was an active and engaged member of MI-DDI's Community Advisory Council (CAC).

This year's Jane Vermeulen Leadership Award is Charlotte Bachelor. Bachelor is a mentor for other women with autism, especially women and girls of color. She takes complete ownership of her goals, navigating complex academic and professional spaces with a clear sense of purpose.

Bachelor was chosen by a committee composed of members of the MI-DDI CAC who evaluated numerous applications through an anonymous review process. Selection criteria included how a candidate exhibited self-determination in their own lives and on behalf of others, how they've uplifted their community, and how they've demonstrated the ideals of strength, courage and leadership.

As a freelance writer and a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) Fellow, Bachelor embodies these ideals by actively carving out a professional identity that honors her voice and her expertise. Through her writing in Uniquely You magazine, she amplifies disability narratives that reject pity and instead focus on autonomy and rights. As a Michigan LEND trainee, Bachelor participated alongside emerging leaders in education and health care with the goal of improving the health of infants, children and adolescents with or at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities and other related health care needs.

Bachelor recently went to Washington, D.C. to speak with legislators about the importance of support for people with disabilities so that they can make full contributions to their communities. She also participates in speaking engagements across Michigan both in person and virtually.

"I am honored to be the 2026 recipient of the Jane Vermuelen Award." Bachelor said. "MI-DDI has been instrumental in developing my leadership and advocacy skills through the LEND training program, so this is a truly full-circle moment."

A Michigan State University alumna, Bachelor is now fully employed at Wayne State University. She is also the founder of Sistas on the Spectrum, an organization dedicated to empowering Black autistic women and girls and educating the greater community about the unique intersections of race, gender and disability.

As the 2026 Jane Vermeulen Leadership Award winner, Bachelor will receive $500 toward attending a leadership training event or conference of her choice.

About MI-DDI

MI-DDI's mission is to contribute to the development of inclusive communities and quality of life for people with disabilities and their families through a culturally sensitive statewide program of training and education, community support and services, research, and information development and sharing.

To learn more about the Jane Vermeulen Leadership Award, contact MI-DDI Senior Associate Director Angela Martin at [email protected] or 313-577-2654 or visitddi.wayne.edu/janeyaward.