2023 Peter John Loux Award Winner: Skyler Schwindt

Skylar Schwindt loves serving his community, and he has an impressive track record to prove it.

His volunteer projects are numerous —serving as a companion at Families Together Enrichment Weekend for 10 years, Salvation Army bell ringing, accompanying contestants in a pageant for young ladies with disabilities, and giving time at animal shelters while advocating for shelter pet adoption. His latest volunteer efforts have been to increase his state level advocacy work for breast cancer prevention, in honor of his aunt and friend who passed away from the disease.

Disability advocacy work is at the heart of Skylar’s activism in public service. He serves on several advisory boards, including Kansas Assistive Technology, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCCD), and the Kansas University Center on Development Disabilities (KUCCD) Consumer Advisory Board. He currently chairs the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities and has contributed to their impact on services and supports in Kansas related to employment, supported decision making, and person-centered planning. He sits on several sub-committees for grant approvals and pilot projects. Based on the excellent impact he has made as KCDD chair, he was invited to join the Community Advisory Committee for the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, where he advises and helps shape the direction of the research and service work done at the center.

“Skyler is an effective advocate for systems change…I frequently partner with Skylar in this work because of his experiences and expertise as a self-determined self-advocate who works in the community.”
—Evan Dean, KUCDD Associate Director

Serving as a mentor for CPRF’s GILA program, Skylar offers guidance and advice to participants transitioning into independent living. The nationwide Design the Future program has selected Skylar as a participant for two years in a row. This gives students across the country the opportunity to learn about his disability and design an app that will support his daily needs. He also participates in panel discussions about the transition to adulthood and employment at statewide conferences. Skylar has Garden City roots. He graduated from community college in the area, studying childcare and sign language. He has since moved to Wichita to live independently at The Timbers and for the past three years he has been working part-time as the administrative receptionist for Families Together.

Congrats, Skylar!