Tom Miller Advocacy Award, Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries

Robin Emanuel

When: 2025
Where: Corbin, Kentucky
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Robin Emanuel

Synopsis

Robin Emanuel transformed her life after joining Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries (SEKRI) as a sewing machine operator in 2014. After being selected for SEKRI's Self-Advocacy Team in 2022, Emanuel overcame her initial nervousness and embraced the opportunity to help others with disabilities. In just two years, she has advocated before Capitol Hill staffers, joined SourceAmerica's Advocates Advisory Council, and now mentors fellow employees with disabilities, exemplifying how proper support enables individuals with disabilities to create meaningful change.

"For me, I have a disability, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to have a normal life, to have a productive life, to be a member of the workforce."

The Full Story

Born with disabilities that presented lifelong challenges, Robin Emanuel found it hard to secure consistent work, pay her bills, or meet her basic needs on her own, which she describes as a period of "chaos."

Emanuel's life took a pivotal turn in 2014 when she was connected to Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries (SEKRI) through SourceAmerica's network of AbilityOne federal contractors, which create meaningful employment for workers with disabilities. Her work as a sewing machine operator at SEKRI then became pivotal in serving as a foundation for her personal and career transformation.

In March 2022, Emanuel was selected to represent the Paris County, Kentucky, SEKRI plant as a part of their newly formed Self-Advocacy Team. Though initially nervous, Emanuel committed herself to the training process. By June 2022, she wrote her personal story and traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Grassroots Advocacy Conference where her effectiveness in meetings with Capitol Hill staffers earned her an invitation to the SourceAmerica Advocates Advisory Council.

Emanuel continued her advocacy work throughout 2022 and began speaking at local economic development meetings about the employment needs of individuals with disabilities in 2023. It was during this time she began mentoring fellow advocates at SEKRI and participating in community outreach events. She remains involved through quarterly advocacy meetings and training on healthcare, transportation and public safety policies affecting individuals in need or at-risk in the area and teaches tips on effective advocacy.

With the continued support of her manager Lisa McLean, Emanuel evolved from a person who once struggled with life's basic requirements into a confident leader who uses her voice and experiences to create positive change for others with disabilities. In 2025, Emanuel received the Tom Miller Advocacy Award.