Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni Eareckson Tada, the Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, is an international advocate for people with disabilities. A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson, then 17, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, without the use of her hands. She has served on the National Council on Disability, the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department and as the Senior Associate for Disability Concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. She has hosted the five-minute Joni & Friends a syndicated daily radio program for over 35 years, has written over 50 books and has been honored with numerous awards for her work in publishing, broadcasting and as a champion for the disability community both in the United States and overseas.