Advocate Spotlight: Angela Fletcher
Advocacy has always been a part of who Angela Fletcher is. As a child, she was the one who stood up for others without needing to be asked, believing that everyone deserves to be treated equally. As she grew up, that instinct only deepened, shaped by her own health journey, her career working alongside people with disabilities, and above all, her daughter. "My daughter is my drive," Angela shares.
Today, Angela's advocacy spans disability rights, Medicare and Medicaid access, mental health, voting rights, women's rights, and education. She's the first to admit the list keeps growing depending on where she sees the greatest need, but her driving force is the same: her own lived experience of feeling powerless and alone while trying to navigate systems that were overwhelming and confusing. "I made a promise that I would never let anyone else feel like that," Angela says.
A Career Built on Advocacy
Long before Angela formalized her advocacy, she was doing the work. When she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) as an adult, she started looking at life differently and felt called to do more for others while she was able to. As an licensed nursing assistant (LNA) at Crotched Mountain, a paraprofessional at Antrim Girls Shelter, and a direct support professional (DSP) at Monadnock Developmental Services, she found herself in role after role where people needed someone willing to help them speak up, or, when necessary, to speak alongside them. When she could no longer continue those roles in the same capacity due to her MS, she forged new paths that allowed her to keep helping others while still caring for herself and her family.
"No matter what I did, there wasn't a role where advocacy wasn't just part of the job or had become part of my survival," she explains.
The biggest shift came when she was pregnant with her daughter and learned that she would have a disability. From that point on, advocacy became very personal. As her daughter has grown, Angela has had to advocate to ensure she has access to the services she needs. More recently, her husband has needed similar support. “If the people closest to me are running into these barriers, then I know they're everywhere. I know there are many people that must need help learning and understanding how to navigate these systems,” says Angela.
Connecting with New Futures
Angela connected with New Futures while working on her first op-ed, wanting to make sure her message would land the way she intended. A meeting with the New Futures team helped her strengthen the piece and consider additional perspectives she hadn't thought of. She later joined the Empowered Families Advocacy Program cohort, which helped build both her knowledge and her confidence.
"This whole process has helped me feel more prepared and supported in my own advocacy journey while giving me a sense of community. Having these new connections helps me realize that I'm not doing this work alone, " Angela reflects.
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Advocacy in Action
An advocacy moment that stands out to Angela is when three local newspapers published an op-ed she wrote about Medicaid’s importance for her family. This milestone felt both terrifying and empowering to her: "It was the first time I really put myself out there. It wasn't just friends hearing my thoughts—it was anyone who read the article."
Around that time, Angela began working with her area agency to organize virtual meetings with families and their legislators. From there, she was asked to serve as the legislative liaison for Region 5, a role she considers a huge honor. They even offered to tailor it to meet her where she is. She's a member of the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities (NHCDD), active with ABLE NH, and serves as an alternate on her town's library board, where she brings the perspective of community members who can't access the library in traditional ways.
Angela is also a graduate of the NH Leadership Series. One of her proudest accomplishments is creating an Icon Based Voting Request accommodation, a project designed to make voting more accessible for people with disabilities. Backed by the Disability Rights Center and NHCDD, it's the kind of tangible, lasting contribution that reflects what Angela does best: turning lived experience into real solutions. She even had a FaceTime call with the governor. Angela shares that having Governor Ayotte know her name was “the coolest thing.” She's not able to attend meetings in person, and aims to break down access barriers, normalizing the use of technology in these spaces. She’s grateful that her experience with the NH Leadership Series has opened doors for her to build new connections and continue to collaborate, learn, and grow.
Beyond the legislative arena, Angela co-developed and facilitates virtual listening circles for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities and medical complexities. What started as a space for people to feel seen and heard has grown to include workshops and practical tools that families can use.
“All of these moments really remind me that advocacy leads to change, and it really makes an impact when people raise their voices and come together in whatever capacity they are able to,” Angela reflects.
Advice for Fellow Advocates
Angela's advice for advocates is to take every opportunity you can to learn, even if you think you already know the information. "There's almost always something new you can take away from the experience, even if it’s a new connection or perspective" she says. Just as importantly, share your knowledge, because "knowledge is power."
Thank you, Angela, for all the incredible advocacy you’ve done to make New Hampshire a better place for us all!
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