Mitchell Levitz

Mitchell Levitz
Self-Advocacy Coordinator
Westchester Institute for Human Development/UCEDD
Community Support Network

Mitchell Levitz has been a spokesperson on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities and has served extensively on councils, boards, taskforces and conference planning groups in New York State, Ohio and nationally. He has been actively engaged in addressing school and university groups as well keynote and workshop presentations for national, statewide and regional conferences all across the country. More than 13 years ago, he joined the staff and faculty of the Westchester Institute for Human Development- a University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities affiliated with New York Medical College, and serves as the Self-Advocacy Coordinator. He teaches graduate students, coordinates a self-advocacy group, develops health training materials and curriculum based on self-determination, and work on a variety of other grant projects. He especially enjoys serving in a leadership role with the Council of Community Advocacy (COCA) of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) as well as the AUCD Project Advisory Committee. He continues to participate in numerous self-advocacy leadership teams, conferences and forums.

As a self-advocate with Down syndrome, Mitchell Levitz was selected to serve as a member of the NIH/NICHHD National Down Syndrome Research Consortium. He also currently serves on review committees for the National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Down Syndrome Resources and the NDSS Research Innovation & Discovery Fund. He was recently invited to join the new Adults with Down Syndrome Task Force for Global Down Syndrome Foundation and looks forward this collaboration. He served on for seven years of the Board of Directors of NDSS and is active on the Self-Advocacy Advisory Board.

Mitchell Levitz has traveled across the country speaking about his experiences having a disability. Since co-authoring the book Count Us In: Growing Up With Down Syndrome with his friend Jason Kingsley, Mitchell has contributed to many other books and publications about intellectual and developmental disabilities including the Foreword to the Third Edition (2008) of the Book, Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents’ Guide published by Woodbine House.

He lives on his own in a townhouse in Cortlandt Manor, New York and enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis and kayaking. His active life includes reading newspapers and magazines and talking about sports and public policy.