Gilda Giron is the Director of Outreach and Leadership Training for Disability Voices United. As director, Gilda is leading the Emerging Leaders Program, which focuses on growing and nurturing self-advocates and family advocates to become leaders.

Gilda earned a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles and has certification in Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship (DIR) based model and customized employment. She has been an advocate and ally to the disability community for over 18 years, specifically with underserved communities. Gilda has worked in various settings including community college, adult day programs, and state-funded programs that serve people with disabilities. Her most recent roles include supervisor for an adult day program and Floortime therapy working collaboratively and in a multidisciplinary approach with families.

Gilda is the mother of three children, two of whom have a disability. Over the course of her career, she has been passionate about disability rights and having a daughter with a disability led her towards furthering her advocacy for people with disabilities. Gilda and her daughter were the first to undergo an experimental fetal surgery procedure for spina bifida. She is a passionate family advocate, providing support to newly diagnosed parents considering fetal surgery and parents that have gone through the process.

A California native, Gilda lives in Orange County with her husband of 11 years and three children.