Tim Houle: Championing Inclusion Through Leadership and Action

One in eight New Hampshire residents, 13.2%, lives with a disability. While New Hampshire consistently reports higher education and employment rates for people with disabilities than the national average, barriers to inclusion remain. Nearly one in five Granite Staters with disabilities still live in poverty, and employment rates lag almost 37 percentage points behind those without disabilities. These numbers reveal both progress and urgency for leadership, collaboration, and change across our state. 

Few embody that spirit more than Tim Houle. Living with cerebral palsy, Tim has turned his lived experience into a powerful force for positive change. Through his partnership with the Institute on Disability and his leadership across the NH Leadership Series, NH Council on Developmental Disabilities, ABLE NH, and People First of New Hampshire, Tim has helped drive inclusion across the state at every level of community life.  

  “I have met so many people through these wonderful organizations that share the goal that I have,” Tim says. “That's to give back to the community and help people with disabilities, like myself, have a better life.” 

In 2025, Tim received the NH Leadership Annie Forts Award, honoring his leadership, advocacy, and deep commitment to community. Known for his warmth, humor, and openness, Tim is a connector — someone who builds belonging wherever he goes. Whether mentoring new advocates, participating in workgroups, or helping others navigate barriers in employment and transportation, Tim’s leadership reflects a simple but powerful truth: communities are strongest when they embrace everyone. 

For Tim, advocacy is personal. “Life for people with disabilities is hard enough,” he says. “We shouldn’t have to worry about lack of transportation, employment, or accessibility.”  

To that end, Tim is contributing his experience and insight to multiple IOD initiatives. He is working towards improving healthcare access for people with disabilities through a program called Leading the Way to Our Own Health. In this role, he helps design and implement high-quality training opportunities that strengthen providers’ understanding of disability and promote more equitable care. Building on this work, Tim will soon begin a new chapter as an Engaged Scholar at the IOD—a program that pairs community members with lived experience in disability with research teams to ensure their perspectives shape the work from the ground up. As an Engaged Scholar, Tim will contribute to research exploring how the daily demands of living with different types of disabilities impact time use. Specifically, how managing health, support, and accessibility needs can limit time available for work, social connection, and leisure. 

Through leaders like Tim, the IOD’s mission comes to life. His leadership reminds us that inclusion is built through everyday action — through listening, collaboration, and the courage to reimagine systems so that everyone, in every community, can fully participate.