Quadriplegic disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada to be honored at the 2024 Global Leadership Summit
May 16 2024 - 8:00AM
In a special public appearance, Christian speaker and disability
rights advocate Joni Eareckson Tada will take the stage at the 30th
annual Global Leadership Summit in South Barrington, Illinois, in
August as she is honored for her legacy of leadership.
2024 is the 45th year of Joni and Friends, the international
disability ministry with an office in Oak Brook, Illinois that Joni
founded after a diving accident left her paralyzed. Joni, who has
lived with quadriplegia for 57 years this summer, continues to
serve as CEO.
The Global Leadership Summit, an annual gathering that brings
together experts in ministry and marketplace, is the world’s
largest annual leadership event. The two-day simulcast event Aug.
8-9 will reach 300,000 registrants in 123
countries.
Joni, whose testimony of God’s power in the midst of her
paralysis has inspired millions, will challenge guests to grow in
their own leadership journeys. The Baltimore, Maryland native is
known for her namesake book and movie, which were released in the
1970s and detail the primary role of faith in her
recovery.
The summit is the flagship event of the Global Leadership
Network, which aims to nurture leadership that can change the world
by empowering and inspiring others to live out their
purpose.
Joni and Friends provides practical help and Gospel hope to
individuals and families living with disability. The ministry’s
Wheels for the World™ program has distributed nearly 230,000 new
and restored wheelchairs around the globe, each accompanied by a
Bible.
Joni and Friends also gives families in the Midwest living with
disability—even profound disability—a chance to enjoy respite and
take a family vacation on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan.
Joni and Friends Illinois serves the states of Illinois, Western
Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. This summer, we will serve
families navigating disability at four Family Retreats in Michigan
in June and August.
Our Family Retreats offer a supportive and accessible camp-like
experience where families can enjoy recreation like swimming,
boating and horseback riding in a safe, faith-based environment.
Our volunteer buddies make it possible for caregivers to focus on
quality time and Christian encouragement. More than 80,000 families
around the globe have been served by our Family
Retreats.
At the Global Leadership Summit 2024, Joni will share the wisdom
and insights she has gained while building an international
organization as an act of faith.
Joni’s impact reaches beyond ministry. She served on the
National Disability Council and helped to develop and pass the
Americans with Disabilities Act, in addition to serving on other
federal and national disability boards.
Other speakers at Global Leadership Summit 2024 will include
Pastor Craig Groeschel, founder of Life.Church, which has 12
locations across the U.S., and leadership researcher Marcus
Buckingham, who leads the ADP Research Institute’s global studies
into people and performance at work.
The summit’s 2024 theme is “Equipping you to design your
tomorrow.”
For more information, visit
https://globalleadership.org/summit/.
About Joni and Friends
For 45 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the
Gospel and practical care to people living with disability across
the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the
World, Family Retreats, and disability ministry training. Joni and
Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio
programs and podcasts. To find out more, please visit
www.joniandfriends.org.
- Joni Eareckson Tada to receive inaugural legacy award
Misty Ochoa
Joni and Friends
8183387432
mochoa@joniandfriends.org