Taylor Carley currently serves as the Self-Advocacy Coordinator at the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS), a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). During his time at IDS, Taylor has participated in national service with Training, Resources, and Information for the Advancement of Disability (TRIAD) Service AmeriCorps for four years; served as the first Self-Advocate Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Trainee; been the Co-President of STEP UP to Leadership Council, an inclusive organization that gives individuals with and without disabilities the opportunity to develop skills through participation in service and recreational activities in the community. Taylor serves as a mentor for the STEP UP to Leadership Council and has been a member for over 10 years. Taylor participates in STEP OUT, a program consisting of adults, with and without disabilities, who provide community service, learn independent living skills, and participate in monthly social/recreational activities. Taylor has developed his own YouTube Series, “Chit Chat Thursday with Taylor,” which focuses on self-advocacy efforts and disability issues in Mississippi. In addition, Taylor was selected as a U.S. representative for the 2022 Tomodachi Story Jam for Youth with Disabilities, a digital storytelling and youth leadership program that brings together Japanese and American college students and young professionals with disabilities to collectively explore and identify a moment or moments related to overcoming barriers. Taylor considers himself to be independent, drives his own car and manages his own financial and medical needs. Taylor’s message to everybody is, “Disability is an Ability. I am just like everybody else.”