Margaret Kinsell

Margaret Kinsell is the Public Policy Director for the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, New Jersey’s Parent Training and Information Center. Kinsell also co-directs SPAN’s Military Family 360 Support Project, providing information, training, technical assistance and support for military families of children, youth and young adults with disabilities across systems on the mega-base in South Jersey. Kinsell previously served as SPAN’s Southern Training Coordinator, providing parent and professional workshops and helping to develop SPAN Community Resource Centers staffed by trained parent volunteer SPAN Resource Parents. She worked for NJ’s Protection and Advocacy agency and a community-based organization as a parent advocate prior to working for SPAN. Kinsell has also served as a Hearing Officer for NJ’s Early Intervention System. She was a founding member of the BEAM (Becoming Educated and Motivated) parent support group in Burlington County and was responsible for the establishment of SPAN’s Community Resource Center on Fort Dix. She has significant expertise in training, technical assistance, systems change, laws and regulations across multiple agencies, and supporting parent and youth self advocacy. She is nationally recognized as an advocate for inclusion and against the use of aversives, restraints and seclusion for children with developmental and other disabilities, and recently met with the White House Disability and Education Policy Advisors on this issue. She is a member of NJ TASH, the NJ Coalition for Inclusive Education, the Special Education Practitioners Roundtable, the NJ DD Council Education Task Force, the Coalition for Special Education Funding Reform, and the Family Alliance to Stop Abuse and Neglect. She was awarded the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities 2011 Elizabeth M. Boggs Family Member Advocate Award. Peg Kinsell is the parent of three youth and young adults with disabilities.