Her Story
About Jossie
Jossie Torres has spent the past twenty-one years serving as Self-Advocate Coordinator for the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, the only professional position she has held throughout her career. In this role, she helps individuals with disabilities understand and exercise their human rights, guiding them toward greater independence and self-determination in areas such as housing, transportation, employment, and community life. Rather than following a traditional academic path, Jossie built her expertise through personal experience, having faced mistreatment within institutional settings early in life — an experience that became the foundation for her lifelong commitment to advocacy. She went on to complete the Partners in Policy Making training in 2013 and has since earned multiple honors recognizing her contributions to the field.
Beyond her coordinator role, Jossie is deeply engaged in the broader disability rights community. She co-chairs Proud Parents of Connecticut and has twice served as President of People First of Connecticut, where she also leads conference programming. Her involvement extends to organizations including APSE, the Arc of Southington, the state's Developmental Disabilities Council, ADAPT's Connecticut chapter, and SARTAC, through which she connects with self-advocates nationwide. This national network has shaped her understanding of disability rights as a movement, one she often compares to the courage shown by civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in confronting unjust systems.
For Jossie, achievement isn't measured in wealth or recognition but in the lives she helps change. She has said she would continue this work without pay, simply because helping others discover their own voice and worth brings her genuine fulfillment. Grounded in faith, family, and a deep respect for human dignity, she remains focused on expanding independence for people with disabilities — including through emerging technology and remote support models — while mentoring the next generation of advocates to stay resilient and speak up for what they believe. Looking forward, she hopes to transition into work as an advocacy consultant, continuing to build a legacy centered on acceptance, opportunity, and respect for people of all abilities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jossie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success first to God, who gives me strength and life each day and who placed me in this position. I also credit the employer who believed in me and gave me the opportunity to grow in this role for the past twenty-one years. Beyond that, I owe my success to the lessons I've learned through my own lived experiences, which I've turned into the strength and purpose that drive my mission to help others.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
No specific piece of career advice was shared. That said, my life and career reflect a personal philosophy: stay true to what you believe, continue to speak up, and never let opposition silence your voice.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to develop thick skin, because in today's climate you cannot let anyone shut you down. If you believe in something, speak up and be willing to confront whatever comes your way, even when it's difficult. Young people need to move past the idea that success means becoming wealthy — real success is about empowering others and inspiring change. It's about speaking up, staying persistent, never giving up, and never letting anyone change what you believe in.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I've seen is what's happened since COVID. It feels as though practices that used to work are now being dismissed, and self-advocates like myself are being pushed aside and shut out of decisions that affect our own lives. At the same time, I see real opportunity in my own perspective — because I was there from the beginning, when this position was first created through legislation, I'm able to help bring back the practices and principles that worked for us in the past.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect and family are the most important values to me, in both my personal and professional life. Having strong connections empowers me, and I try to treat everyone the way I would want to be treated in any relationship — with respect and dignity.
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