Advancing Inclusion, Building Economic Power, Creating Systemic Change

100 Shades of Diverse Abilities logo

Our Mission

Improve quality of life for persons with diverse abilities and their families through legislative advocacy, economic empowerment, community partnerships, and education.

What Is an L3C?

L3C stands for low-profit limited liability company. It is a business structure organized primarily for charitable or educational purposes. It can earn income while those purposes remain central to why it exists. At 100 Shades, that mission guides our services and partnerships.

Learn about Michigan L3Cs
Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly, wearing purple and seated in her wheelchair, leans forward in conversation with young people during the Social Media Honor class at Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026.
Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly teaching the Social Media Honor at Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026.

Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026

Master Guide Candidate
Dr. Kimberly teaches 129 young people.

At Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026, Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly taught the Social Media Honor to 129 young people, bringing her experience in education, accessibility, communications, and leadership into youth ministry.

Patch for Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026, showing three Pathfinders in uniform above the word Unbreakable, with Berrien Springs, Michigan and September 24–26, 2026.

Our Latest Community Partnership Story

Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026

September 24–26, 2026 · Berrien Springs, Michigan

Teaching the Social Media Honor to 129 young people

For Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, teaching 129 young people the Social Media Honor at Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026 connected a lifelong commitment to education with a growing assignment in youth ministry.

Dr. Rob Johnson, Master Guide Executive Coordinator for the Lake Region Conference, says she has been #bitten. As a mother of three and grandmother of eight, ages 3 to 16, Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly has spent decades teaching, mentoring, and nurturing young people. The gathering brought that experience into a new setting, where relationships and practical learning can help young people discover their gifts and prepare for leadership.

Her work through 100 Shades brings education, advocacy, accessibility, communications, and community engagement together. In youth ministry, those gifts support a shared purpose: creating opportunities for young people to participate, learn, serve, and lead.

Our accessibility commitment: Young people and leaders with diverse abilities belong in the learning experience. Accessible materials, clear communication, and flexible ways to participate help remove barriers and make room for their gifts.

“The work of education and the work of redemption are one.”

Ellen G. White, Education, p. 30

Social Media Honor · Requirement 9

Putting Learning into Action

“Create a presentation, speech or game that shows what you have learned about social media while earning this honor. Share this presentation with a group.”

Participants completed requirement nine in class by joining Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington for an episode of Rolling on the Road: Special Edition. By sharing what they learned about social media with the group, they fulfilled this requirement for their Social Media Honor sign-off.

Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly, seated in her wheelchair near the center, joins young people and leaders for a group photograph after a Social Media Honor class at Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026.
Learning together at Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026.
A participant holds the printed Social Media Honor worksheet during a class at Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026.
Putting the Social Media Honor into practice.
Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly looks back and smiles from her wheelchair outdoors at Lake Union Conference Unbreakable Camporee 2026. Her chair displays her U.S. Navy veteran patches and a personalized Rolls’ Royce nameplate.
Bringing lived experience and a heart for service to youth ministry.
Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly and a young Pathfinder smile for a photograph under a pavilion, both wearing blue Pathfinder shirts.
Building connections beyond the classroom.
Master Guide Candidate Dr. Kimberly and a young participant smile beneath a Social Media Honor sign.
Celebrating young people and their growing skills.

Continue Learning and Serving

Master Guide Boot Camp

Join the Lake Region Conference Youth Department for a weekend of ministry training at Camp Wagner. Emerging and experienced leaders are invited to continue learning and share their knowledge with the next generation.

Dates
November 6–8, 2026
Location
Camp Wagner, 19088 Brownsville Road
Cassopolis, MI 49031
Weekend cost
$60 includes lodging, meals, and materials.
Training languages
English and Spanish
Contact
Dr. Rob Johnson,
Master Guide Executive Coordinator for the Lake Region Conference
248-807-3008
masterguide@lrcsda.com
Register for Boot Camp

For accessibility needs or participation support, contact the organizer before attending.

English flyer and readable downloadEnglish Master Guide Boot Camp flyer. November 6–8, 2026 at Camp Wagner. $60 includes lodging, meals, and materials; English and Spanish training. Contact Dr. Rob Johnson, Master Guide Executive Coordinator for the Lake Region Conference, at 248-807-3008. Use the registration link next to the flyer or scan its QR code.Download the readable English flyer (PDF)
Folleto en español y descarga legible

Campamento de Guías Mayores del 6 al 8 de noviembre de 2026, en Camp Wagner, 19088 Brownsville Road, Cassopolis, Michigan 49031. El costo de $60 incluye alojamiento, comidas y materiales. Capacitación en inglés y español. Para necesidades de accesibilidad o apoyo para participar, comuníquese con el organizador antes de asistir.

Folleto del Campamento de Guías Mayores. Del 6 al 8 de noviembre en Camp Wagner; costo de $60. Capacitación en inglés y español. Contacto: Dr. Rob Johnson, Master Guide Executive Coordinator for the Lake Region Conference, 248-807-3008.Descargar el folleto legible en español (PDF)

Inscribirse en el campamento

Events

Our Latest Event

The original Rolling On The Road: Special Edition flyer featuring Dr. Kimberly Barrington and Dave Bulkowski, promoting the first national Disability Night Out on October 10, 2026. The flyer invites people to wear purple or lavender and gather at Tokyo Buffet & Grill in Wyoming, Michigan.Visit Disability Night Out

Disability Night Out

Dr. Kimberly Barrington and Dave Bulkowski’s October 10 gathering was part of the first national Disability Night Out. Show up. Share the table. Belong everywhere.

Date
Our Local Gathering
6–8 p.m. Eastern Time
Location
Tokyo Buffet & Grill
5316 Clyde Park Ave SW, Suite N
Wyoming, MI 49509
Meal Cost Shown on the Flyer
$10–$20

Wear purple or lavender, any shade, in solidarity.

The national event runs from 6–9 p.m. in each participant’s local time zone. Choose a restaurant, bring your people, and share your experience.

#DisabilityNightOut   @DisabilityNightOut

Watch the latest episode on PPTV™

Watch on YouTube

Rolling On The Road: Special Edition™

Dr. Kimberly with Erick Mikiten

Watch Dr. Kimberly’s latest episode with architect Erick Mikiten, founder of Disability Night Out.

Disability Night Out brings people with disabilities, friends, families, and allies together to share a meal, connect, and make belonging visible in our communities.

Meet Erick and Disability Night Out

Who We Are

Leadership grounded in lived experience.

100 Shades of Diverse Abilities L3C is a Michigan-based social enterprise founded by Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, a United States Navy veteran, disability advocate, public policy leader, educator, consultant, and media professional.

Our work centers the experiences, expertise, and economic power of people with disabilities, veterans, families, caregivers, and historically underserved communities.

We do not simply advocate for people with diverse abilities. We create opportunities for their voices, leadership, purchasing power, and lived experiences to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

What We Do

Our Work

Our Impact

Policy, partnership, and progress across Michigan.

Through the leadership of Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, 100 Shades has contributed to significant disability, veteran, transportation, and economic initiatives.

  • Contributing to the advancement of disability-related legislation in Michigan
  • Advocating for increased funding for Michigan’s Centers for Independent Living
  • Supporting transportation and mobility initiatives for veterans, older adults, and people with disabilities
  • Championing MiABLE and disability-centered financial empowerment
  • Promoting streamlined access to healthcare, housing, education, and other services for veterans
  • Building partnerships between public officials, disability advocates, businesses, and community organizations
  • Elevating disability voices through education, public speaking, consulting, media, and storytelling

Veterans and Diverse Abilities

Service deserves streamlined support.

100 Shades advocates for veterans and military-connected families, with particular attention to accessible healthcare, housing, education, transportation, economic independence, and the removal of fragmented systems that prevent people from receiving the support they earned.

Disabled Veterans’ Homestead Property Tax Reform

The issue Dr. Kimberly championed in her 2022 campaign reached a statewide milestone when Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Acts 150, 151, and 152 of 2023. These laws restructured Michigan’s homestead property tax exemption for eligible disabled veterans and unremarried surviving spouses.

The changes included continuing approved exemptions without annual reapplication beginning in 2025, protecting eligible surviving spouses who move to a new homestead, and updating how applications and certain errors are handled.

Read the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency explanation
Dr. Kimberly, seated in her wheelchair and holding a document, joins veterans and community leaders in a council chamber.
A milestone for Michigan’s disabled veterans.
Dr. Kimberly, seated in her wheelchair and wearing a black coat with a purple flower, smiles beside a woman in a mustard-yellow jacket.
Celebrating a legislative milestone.

Legislative Advocacy

We help advance policies that strengthen protections, services, accessibility, independence, and economic opportunities for people with diverse abilities and their families.

First Legislative Day at the Michigan Capitol

Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, seated in her wheelchair and wearing a coral dress, poses with advocates and legislators in a Capitol room lined with bookshelves and framed portraits.
Legislative Day with Disability Advocates of Kent County — May 18, 2018

On May 18, 2018, Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington attended her first Legislative Day with Disability Advocates of Kent County, one of Michigan’s 15 Centers for Independent Living. Together, the group advocated for higher hourly wages for caregivers in Michigan, helping secure a 25-cent-per-hour increase.

During that visit, she met Ms. Wheelchair America, who was also there advocating for her own platform. That meeting inspired Dr. Barrington to consider running for a wheelchair pageant.

Winnie Brinks, then a Michigan state representative, was also there. In 2026, she became the Democratic nominee for Michigan lieutenant governor.

Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington smiles from her wheelchair beside the ornate balcony railing inside the Michigan Capitol, wearing a coral dress, colorful scarf, and white sunglasses on her head.
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington at the Michigan Capitol.
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington and Ms. Wheelchair America smile together, seated in their wheelchairs. Ms. Wheelchair America wears a crown, white jacket, and purple sash.
Meeting Ms. Wheelchair America.
Two visitor passes on a purple handbag: a yellow and white Michigan Senate visitor day pass and a white Michigan House of Representatives visitor pass numbered 51.
Visitor passes from the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives.
From the Michigan Capitol
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington records a moment from her first Legislative Day.
Download this video

Changing Signs, Changing Minds

Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, seated in her wheelchair, and Beau LaFave, kneeling beside her, hold a large blue Changing Signs, Changing Minds sign showing the traditional accessibility symbol changing to a forward-moving wheelchair symbol.
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington and Beau LaFave

“When You Agree to Make Decisions Based on the Most Excluded You Have Included Everyone.”

—Dr. Kimberly Y Barrington
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, wearing purple and seated in her wheelchair, poses with a group of advocates in a legislative chamber. Several wear blue accessibility-symbol buttons.
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, wearing a crown and purple dress, sits in her wheelchair beside an easel displaying the large blue Changing Signs, Changing Minds sign.
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, seated in her wheelchair, and Beau LaFave, kneeling beside her, hold a reserved-parking sign featuring the forward-moving accessibility symbol. The sign reads State Disabled Parking Permit Required.
Legislative Testimony
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington testifies in support of Changing Signs, Changing Minds.
Download the testimony video

The $8 Million Michigan Mobility Challenge

Accessible transportation became another focus of Dr. Kimberly’s legislative advocacy. Governor Rick Snyder launched the $8 Million Michigan Mobility Challenge to address transportation gaps for older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans. The program supported partnerships using technology and new service models to improve access across Michigan.

Read MDOT’s program history Read the 2018 launch announcement

The Final Mobility Challenge Grants

Dr. Kimberly joined Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the North American International Auto Show for the announcement of the challenge’s final grant round. More than $4.7 million was awarded to four projects serving Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, the central Upper Peninsula, and Southeast Michigan, expanding transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans.

Read the official announcement naming Dr. Kimberly Read the MLive report
At the $4.7 Million Grant Announcement
Dr. Kimberly at the Michigan Mobility Challenge grant announcement — January 15, 2019.
Download this video
Dr. Kimberly, seated at the left in her wheelchair, speaks alongside Paul Ajegba, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Jeff Mason, and Trevor Pawl, with a sign language interpreter at the right. A large screen above the stage shows Dr. Kimberly smiling.
Dr. Kimberly joins Michigan leaders for the final grant announcement — January 15, 2019.
A close view of the original photograph’s large video screen shows Dr. Kimberly smiling, seated in her wheelchair and wearing a purple, black, and white patterned jacket.
Dr. Kimberly, shown on the stage’s large screen.

Browse the photos across the gallery. Select a photo to view it at full size.

Dr. Kimberly, seated at the left in her wheelchair, speaks alongside Paul Ajegba, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Jeff Mason, and Trevor Pawl, with a sign language interpreter at the right. A large screen above the stage shows Dr. Kimberly smiling.
Dr. Kimberly and Michigan leaders onstage.
Trevor Pawl stands to open the Mobility Challenge press conference while Dr. Kimberly and other Michigan leaders sit onstage beneath the PlanetM and Michigan Mobility Challenge logos.
Opening the Mobility Challenge press conference.
Dr. Kimberly sits at the left in her wheelchair with four Michigan leaders onstage beneath the PlanetM and Michigan Mobility Challenge logos as Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks.
Dr. Kimberly joins Michigan leaders for the Mobility Challenge grant announcement.
Dr. Kimberly smiles from her wheelchair beside Governor Gretchen Whitmer, with three fellow panelists standing behind them after the Mobility Challenge announcement.
Dr. Kimberly with Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan leaders.
MLive clipping showing Dr. Kimberly on the announcement panel with Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other Michigan leaders. The text identifies Dr. Kimberly as a Grand Rapids advocate, U.S. Navy veteran, and wheelchair user.
MLive coverage of the $4.7 million grant announcement, featuring Dr. Kimberly.
Dr. Kimberly holds up her phone for a selfie while Governor Gretchen Whitmer leans beside her, both smiling after the Mobility Challenge announcement.
Dr. Kimberly and Governor Gretchen Whitmer share a moment after the announcement.

Original stage and opening photos: Spc. Samantha Hall, U.S. Army National Guard. View the original stage photograph. Additional photos and MLive clipping provided by Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington.

Restoring Funding for Michigan’s Centers for Independent Living

Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee in support of a $3 million increase for Michigan’s 15 Centers for Independent Living. Her testimony was part of her work to restore state funding for the services that help people with disabilities live independently.

Advocating for Michigan’s Centers for Independent Living
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington at the Michigan Capitol — March 13, 2019.
Download this video

Appointed to the Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services

Dr. Kimberly smiles from her wheelchair beside a woman as they display her yellow Oath of Office document for the Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services.
Dr. Kimberly with her oath of office for the Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services.

The council advises Michigan’s public vocational rehabilitation programs and services. Her public-service journey also included attending a Christmas party at the Governor’s Mansion.

Read the official appointment announcement About the council

100 Shades advances disability-centered policy and public accountability. We work with public officials, advocates, veterans, families, and community partners to strengthen protections, expand access, increase independence, and create measurable opportunity.

Economic Empowerment

Diversability Makes Economic Sense.

We promote financial independence, entrepreneurship, employment, accessible business development, and recognition of the economic influence of the disability community.

People with diverse abilities are not merely recipients of services. We are consumers, professionals, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, voters, caregivers, homeowners, creators, and community leaders.

Our economic initiative examines purchasing power, financial priorities, employment experiences, and the untapped market influence of the disability community.

DIS'cretionary Income™Employment & EntrepreneurshipAccessible Business PracticesMiABLE & Financial Education

Entrepreneurship in Action

Shana Thomas — Shana’s Crochet Closet

Bel Air, Maryland

Shana Thomas is one of many people 100 Shades has assisted in living a self-directed life through entrepreneurship. Her story reflects our commitment to helping people turn their talents into opportunities, exercise choice, and shape their own futures.

Through Shana’s Crochet Closet, she creates handmade crochet pieces. Dr. Kimberly proudly wears her purple and black poncho and celebrates her colorful crocheted bears, “The Bearingtons,” pictured below.

Shana is taking her creativity from handmade crochet pieces to her own show, Shana’s Crochet Closet on PPTV. Season one will be uploaded soon.

Dr. Kimberly smiles from her wheelchair while wearing a purple and black crocheted poncho made by Shana Thomas.
Dr. Kimberly wearing Shana Thomas’s handmade poncho.
Dr. Kimberly wears Shana’s purple and black poncho and holds two colorful crocheted bears, one bright pink and one blue, while seated in her wheelchair.
Shana’s poncho and colorful crochet creations.
Dr. Kimberly leans toward a small wooden chair displaying Shana’s pink and blue crocheted bears and matching crochet pieces.
Celebrating Shana’s handmade work.
Dr. Kimberly smiles at the pink crocheted bear in one arm while holding a blue crocheted bear in the other, wearing Shana’s poncho.
The creativity and personality in every piece.
Dr. Kimberly holds Shana’s pink and blue crocheted bears with their backs facing the camera, showing the texture and details of the handmade pieces.
Handcrafted details by Shana Thomas.
Shana’s Crochet Closet promotional graphic titled ‘The Bearingtons,’ showing pink and blue crocheted bears on a wooden chair with matching pink and blue crochet pieces.
The Bearingtons — Shana’s Crochet Closet.

Community Partnerships

Purposeful partnerships create lasting change.

100 Shades has partnered with organizations across the United States to expand access, opportunity, and belonging for people with diverse abilities. Together with disability advocates, civic organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, we strengthen community connections, share knowledge, amplify voices, and work toward communities where everyone can participate.

Become a Community Partner
Disability Advocates of Kent County collage showing community members, volunteers, meetings, and access advocacy, with the words ‘Access for All’ and ‘Advocateability.’
Access for All — Disability Advocates of Kent County.

One of Our Most Recent Collaborations

Disability Night Out

100 Shades is working with Disability Night Out and its founder, architect Erick Mikiten. The initiative brings people with disabilities, families, friends, and allies together to dine out and take part in public life.

Shared presence creates connection and makes the need for welcoming, accessible spaces visible. This collaboration reflects our belief that belonging grows when communities make room for everyone at the table.

Visit Disability Night Out

Community Advocacy

Local roots. Connections across communities.

Connections with Disability Advocates of Kent County reflect the power of people coming together around accessibility, independent living, and community participation. Dr. Kimberly played a leading philanthropic role in the organization’s $2.5 million capital campaign.

Her work also includes Absolutely Accessible Kent, alongside Disability Advocates of Kent County, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., Experience Grand Rapids, and community partners working to improve accessibility in hospitality, public spaces, transportation, and community life.

Dr. Kimberly has also participated in a Legislative Day with the NAACP, bringing her commitment to inclusion into broader civic and community advocacy.

Explore Absolutely Accessible Kent

Leadership, Advocacy & Education

Serving as a Ms. Wheelchair America Judge

Our founder, Dr. Kimberly, served as a judge at the Ms. Wheelchair America national competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in August 2026. The event celebrates women whose leadership and advocacy help build stronger communities. It offered another opportunity to connect with advocates from across the country and celebrate their voices.

Visit Ms. Wheelchair America
Dr. Kimberly, seated near the center in purple, joins Ms. Wheelchair America contestants in a wide group photograph onstage.
Dr. Kimberly with Ms. Wheelchair America contestants. Three of the 19 contestants are not pictured.
Ms. Wheelchair America event graphic presented by Mary Free Bed Guild, featuring Dr. Kimberly with her fellow judges and the dates August 17–23, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The judging team — August 17–23, 2026, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dr. Kimberly smiles with her fellow Ms. Wheelchair America judges around a meeting table.
Dr. Kimberly and her fellow judges.
Dr. Kimberly Barrington’s Ms. Wheelchair America 2027 judge badge and black lanyard resting on purple floral fabric.
Dr. Kimberly’s Ms. Wheelchair America judge badge.
The newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2027 smiles in a turquoise gown, wearing her crown and sash and holding a bouquet of flowers.
Jamie Clendening — the newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2027.

Education

We provide training, consultation, public speaking, community education, and accessible resources that help organizations move from awareness to meaningful inclusion.

Rolling On The Road launched May 7, 2020 with Dr. Kimberly and Dave to keep the disability community informed and connected during the pandemic. In January 2026, Dr. Kimberly began hosting Rolling On The Road: Special Edition on her own. Education also includes Minding ‘DIS’ Business™ Classes.

Original Rolling On The Road Live promotional graphic featuring Dr. Kimberly in purple and green and Dave in a suit. Text reads ‘Shining a Light on the Marked Intersectionality of Disability’ and ‘Let’s Talk About It Tuesdays, 4 PM EST,’ with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch icons.
Rolling On The Road — launched May 7, 2020 with Dr. Kimberly and Dave.
Rolling On The Road: Special Edition promotional graphic showing Dr. Kimberly seated in her wheelchair and wearing purple. Text identifies Dr. Kimberly as the host and reads ‘Amplifying the Voice of the People.’
Rolling On The Road: Special Edition — hosted by Dr. Kimberly since January 2026.

Education and Training

Education that leads to action.

Awareness alone does not create accessibility.

100 Shades provides education, consultation, and training designed to help businesses, public institutions, community organizations, and decision-makers identify barriers and implement practical solutions.

  • Disability inclusion and accessibility
  • Veteran inclusion
  • Economic empowerment
  • Public policy and legislative advocacy
  • Intersectionality and systemic equity
  • Inclusive communications and media
  • Accessible programs, services, events, and facilities

Rolling On The Road

The original Rolling On The Road promotional graphic with Dr. Kimberly and Dave, its disability intersectionality tagline, and the historical Tuesday broadcast time of 4 PM EST.
The original program with Dr. Kimberly and Dave.

Rolling On The Road launched on May 7, 2020 to meet an urgent need during the COVID-19 pandemic: keeping the disability community informed, connected, and able to find help. Dr. Kimberly and Dave shared updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), information about assistance, and community resources and services.

Through conversations and shared information, the program created a place for disability voices, practical questions, and connection during a time of uncertainty. Guests have included Haley Stevens.

Rolling On The Road: Special Edition™

Rolling On The Road: Special Edition graphic featuring Dr. Kimberly in her wheelchair, her signature with a purple butterfly, and the words ‘Amplifying the Voice of the People.’
Dr. Kimberly’s next chapter as the solo host.

After more than five years of Rolling On The Road, Dr. Kimberly began hosting on her own in January 2026 under the name Rolling On The Road: Special Edition™. This next chapter continues her commitment to community education, meaningful conversations, and amplifying the voice of the people.

Minding ‘DIS’ Business™ Classes

Practical entrepreneurship education for people with diverse abilities, including veterans. Minding ‘DIS’ Business™ helps participants identify marketable skills, explore accessible ways to work, and develop a path toward paid work.

  • Identify strengths, skills, and workable business ideas.
  • Explore customer demand and accessible ways to deliver a product or service.
  • Practice pricing, customer outreach, invoicing, and recordkeeping.
  • Use AI–ChatGPT Training as an Assist for ‘DIS’ to support brainstorming, organization, writing, communication, and task planning.
  • Connect with qualified specialists for benefits guidance and business resources.
  • Create a practical plan for moving from an idea toward income.
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington seated in her wheelchair and wearing a purple dress
Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington smiling outdoors in her power wheelchair, wearing a purple and white patterned dress and purple shoes

Our Founder

Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington

Founder & CEO of 100 Shades of Diverse Abilities L3C

Dr. Kimberly Barrington served 10 years in the U.S. Navy. She is a disability advocate, public policy leader, entrepreneur, educator, consultant, and media host whose work is rooted in lived experience and a commitment to systemic inclusion.

In just 13 years as a wheelchair user, Dr. Kimberly has built the legislative advocacy, entrepreneurship, community partnerships, and media work featured here. Her work strengthens independence, accessibility, economic opportunity, and dignity for people with disabilities, veterans, and historically underserved communities.

Her impact across Michigan includes testifying before a Michigan Senate Appropriations subcommittee in support of a $3 million increase for the state’s 15 Centers for Independent Living, helping advance disability legislation that became Michigan law, and advocacy surrounding the state’s $8 million Mobility Challenge to expand transportation opportunities for older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities.

She also played a leading philanthropic role in Disability Advocates of Kent County’s $2.5 million capital campaign. Through Absolutely Accessible Kent, she worked alongside Disability Advocates of Kent County, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., Experience Grand Rapids, and community partners to improve accessibility in hospitality, public spaces, transportation, and community experiences.

That work included accessibility efforts connected to the Amway Grand Plaza, host hotel for the August 2026 Ms. Wheelchair America national competition. Accessible community experiences also include Viewfinder, a downtown Grand Rapids photo walk and roll created for people with disabilities — another way for people to participate, connect, and share their perspectives.

As host of Rolling On The Road and founder of PPTV™, Dr. Kimberly brings disability voices, community stories, and public policy into the public conversation. In January 2026, she began hosting Rolling On The Road: Special Edition™ on her own. In 2022, she carried her advocacy into electoral politics as a candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives.

After representing Michigan in wheelchair pageantry, Dr. Kimberly brought her experience to the Ms. Wheelchair America judges’ table in August 2026. Her work continues to turn lived experience into legislative action, community change, and opportunities for others.

News and Media

Stories, conversations, and community.

Visit PPTV™, an independent, Black, veteran, and disability-owned digital media network founded by Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington. PPTV elevates community voices, examines public policy, highlights leadership, and tells stories traditional media frequently overlooks.

Watch PPTV™

Partner With Us

Inclusion is not an accommodation. It is an investment.

Work with 100 Shades of Diverse Abilities L3C to create policies, programs, partnerships, and economic strategies that produce measurable community impact.

Partner With UsRequest a Consultation