Lorie Sandaine, CESP, CWIC

Lorie Sandaine is a passionate advocate for disability inclusion and a champion of systemic change. She rejoined the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities as a Systems Change Liaison, based in Tucson, AZ, where she leads transformative employment initiatives, including the Customized Employment Pilot and Arizona Employment First initiative in partnership with Arizona Vocational Rehabilitation aiming to achieve competitive integrated employment for all Arizonans with disabilities.

With a strong foundation in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), Lorie works tirelessly to create pathways to competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. Her leadership extends to guiding organizational transformation, notably supporting a large Phoenix-based provider in transitioning from center-based to supported employment models, achieving measurable success in inclusive workforce outcomes.

Lorie is a member and past Board Chair of the Arizona Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), where she advocates for Employment First policies, champions the elimination of subminimum wages, and drives the message that everyone can contribute to their communities through work.

As a recognized speaker and thought leader, Lorie shares her experiences as a Vietnamese, queer immigrant woman of color, offering powerful insights on leadership, allyship, and fostering equity in workplaces and communities. Recognizing the importance of intersectionality in disability advocacy and the shared need for belonging, she emphasizes the inclusion of individuals with lived experiences at the decision-making table, particularly when decisions directly impact their lives. Her unwavering commitment to building inclusive systems and amplifying underrepresented voices continues to inspire meaningful change across Arizona.

Lorie Sandaine is a Systems Change Liaison at the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, where she leads transformative employment initiatives, including the Customized Employment Pilot and Arizona Employment First initiative. With expertise in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), she works to create pathways to competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities and has supported organizational transformations achieving inclusive workforce outcomes.

As a Vietnamese, queer immigrant woman of color, she shares powerful insights on leadership, allyship, and fostering equity. Lorie emphasizes intersectionality in advocacy, ensuring that individuals with lived experiences have a voice in decisions that impact their lives, inspiring systemic change across Arizona.