The Wheelchair Quarterback

Giuseppe Franco “Joey” Pagano is a Central New York-based writer with a diverse body of work, ranging from state government to higher education to journalism. He is currently a research assistant at the Burton Blatt Institute, a disability law and policy research center at Syracuse University, contributing at a variety of capacities. With a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a master’s degree from Syracuse’s School of Education, he has written articles about disability issues, sports and other topics published on Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard, Yahoo and other publications as has dug into the world of disability policy.

At BBI, he works across an array of federally-funded projects and partnerships aimed at improving policies that impact people with disabilities. Since joining in October 2022, he has worked across numerous initiatives, including the Southeast ADA Center, the Disability Inclusive Employment Policy Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, and other national and international projects in collaboration with other institutions. He edits written materials, manages social media accounts, and contributes to research and policy briefs and academic articles on competitive integrated employment, the value of telework for people with disabilities, disability law, and more. See his BBI work here.

As a legislative correspondent in the New York State Senate, for Senator John W. Mannion, he wrote proclamations and other awards, conducted research tasks, and helped manage the Senator’s official website. He was an intern during the Spring 2022 semester, the final semester of his master’s program, before accepting an expanded role at the conclusion of the internship. Prior to that, he was a student marketing assistant with Syracuse’s Center on Disability and Inclusion, writing news articles, designing social media posts, and developing an annual report. He has occasionally worked with the Center on a freelance basis since. 

Since finishing school, he has only grown more passionate about utilizing his skills, expertise, and personal experiences as a person with cerebral palsy to address the obstacles people with disabilities and other marginalized communities face throughout the United States and beyond. He seeks to help others realize the importance of not only individuals with disabilities but also investing in them in ways that match their skills and their interests. Overall, he envisions a future where people with disabilities have opportunities to be full members of society and strives to help bridge gaps between policy discussions and lived experience through collaboration, conversation, and cooperation.