The Joy Zabala Fellowship

Joy Zabala was an inspiring leader, a gifted communicator, a passionate advocate, and a beloved friend. With over 40 years dedicated to supporting equity, creating more inclusive educational environments, and access for individuals with disabilities, Joy’s SETT Framework revolutionized AT services, and her leadership fostered a stronger, more connected community of AT professionals.

The Fellowship

The Joy Zabala Fellowship was established in 2021 to actively honor Joy’s legacy by supporting emerging leaders who continue her work of expanding access to AT and AEM in schools and workplaces. Mentorship partners and individuals are able to apply for the fellowship each spring for the following academic year.

I used to think I was passionate about assistive technology. What I’ve learned is that I’m very passionate about participation and learning.
This is not about the technology. This is about people’s lives.

Dr. Joy Zabala

The Fellowship supports emerging, early career professionals working with students with disabilities from birth through transition, who, in collaboration with a seasoned mentor, will strengthen their expertise and skills in services supporting assistive technology and/or accessible educational materials, and share what they learn with the larger community of stakeholders.

These dynamic mentorship teams will work together to build capacity in AT and AEM, with a focus on improving accessibility and educational equity for students with disabilities. The collaborative efforts of the mentors and mentees will be supported by “connectors” in the field who help guide the Fellows in implementing and sharing their innovations and solutions across different educational settings.

Apply for a 2026-2027 Fellowship

Applications for the 2026-2027 Joy Zabala Fellowship are now open! We are looking for emerging practitioners ready to grow as mentees, and established AT or AEM experts eager to guide the next generation as mentors.

There are two ways to apply for the Joy Zabala Fellowship:

• Apply as mentorship partners, with one mentor and one mentee. Each applicant will need to complete the appropriate application.
• Apply as an individual, either seeking or willing to provide mentoring. These individual applications will be included in a mentee/mentor pool for consideration to match with other applicants.

The expected time commitment of the fellowship supported partnership is the duration of the academic year. More details about the process can be found on the application forms. For questions about the fellowship and application process, please contact the Fellowship Team.

The application window for the 2026-2027 academic year is open until Friday April 17, 2026 at 4 PM CT.

Submit a Mentee Application for the 2026-2027 yearSubmit a Mentor Application for the 2026-2027 year

Past Fellowship Team

Now completing its fourth year, the Joy Zabala Fellowship continues to expand its reach. Mentees and mentors represent 14 states and even Germany, fostering a global community dedicated to advancing the accessibility services.

The 2025-2026 Fellowship

• Donna Calhoun (Mentee), AT Specialist, Irving School District, Texas.
  Mentor: Hillary Goldthwait-Fowles, PhD, SLP and AT Specialist, Maine.
• Emily Gaylord (Mentee), AT Specialist, Arizona Department of Education.
  Mentor: Mike Marotta, Director of Richard West AT Advocacy Center (ATAC), New Jersey.
• Joan Goldfarb (Mentee), OT and AT Specialist, Hamilton Boone Madison Cooperative, Indiana.
  Mentor: Paula Gumpman, Program Specialist, Georgia Department of Education.

The 2024-2025 Fellowship

• Judith Nomura (Mentee), Assistive Technology Specialist, Hawaii Department of Education.
  Mentor: Dr. Brian Wojcik, Assistive Technology Partnership Supervisor, Nebraska Department of Education.
• Amy Comford (Mentee), Supervisor, OT and PT Department, Columbus City Schools.
  Mentor: Sayard Bass, Southwest Cook County Cooperative Association for Special Education.
• Amy Thompson (Mentee), Occupational Therapist, Rapid City Schools.
  Mentor: Judie Schoonover, AT Consultant, National Expert.
• Lindsey Fountain (Mentee), Speech-Language Pathologist & AT Consultant, Intermediate District.
  Mentor: Stacy Alvare, Instructional Support & Inclusion Specialist, Florida School System.

Learn more about teams from previous years and their fellowship goals.

• The 2024-2025 Fellowship Teams
• The 2023-2024 Fellowship Teams
• The 2022-2023 Inaugural Fellowship Teams