My Story
About
Nadia Ibrahim Mossburg
A lifelong disability advocate and daughter of Middle Eastern immigrants, lives with cerebral palsy. Holding two Master's degrees in Journalism and Social Work, she serves as a senior policy advisor, with more than 20 years of experience shaping national, state, and local policies to promote greater equity in employment, emergency management, public health, and transportation. Active in her faith community, she resides in Florida with her husband, stepson, and service dog, Watson. Her work has been featured in disability-focused magazines, including Accent on Living and Kaleidoscope.
My Mission
To empower individuals with disabilities and their families to live fulfilling lives of faith by providing guidance, resources, and a supportive community while equipping churches to become truly inclusive and welcoming environments for all members.
My Story
1970 - 1982
Born three months premature and diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) at age two, I adapt to navigating the world with a wheelchair.
My physical therapist encourages my parents to focus on helping me adjust to using a wheelchair, given the severity of my CP.
As I grow, I confront the challenges of adolescence and living with a disability, including bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts.
1983 - 1989
Summer camp at Bradford Woods fosters a love for outdoor activities like gardening, camping, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and canoeing.
I meet Carol, a joyful Christian camp counselor who becomes a mentor, sparking my spiritual curiosity. She attends a university near my home and becomes an honorary member of our family.
Carol invites me to Amy Grant concert, getting her autograph for me that night. This prompts me to actually listen to the Amy Grant cassette tape Carol shared months earlier.
In high school, my aide, Karen, encourages my spiritual exploration, leading to conversations about faith and receiving my first Bible as a graduation gift.
1989 - 1996
I attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating with an English degree and a desire to make a difference.
My passion for writing emerges, leading to a Master's in Journalism and my first published article in Accent on Living about choosing a college as a student with a disability.
Recognizing the need for further career development, I pursue a second Master's degree.
1996 - 2000
I navigate the challenges of independent living with a disability while working as an indexer at a major publishing company in Indianapolis.
These challenges, coupled with a sense of God's leading, inspire me to pursue a Master's in Social Work.
My first service dog, Tullis, arrives, expanding my independence and fueling my passion for disability advocacy.
2001 - 2007
I gain valuable experience through an internship with the federal government in Washington, DC, where I experience working alongside other professionals with disabilities. I later work at a Center for Independent Living before securing a full-time, disability policy job with the federal government, working to advance inclusion and accessibility.
Tullis retires, and I welcome my second service dog, Cooper.
I move from Washington, DC to Rockville, Maryland to be closer to the church I’m attending. I serve on several ministry teams, including communications, greeting, and biblical counseling – and I experience significant spiritual growth, and feel especially connected to my church family.
2008 - 2016
I enjoy learning and growing personally and professionally. I develop expertise in topics such as health care, emergency preparedness, and participatory policymaking.
I am invited to participate in the Bold Beauty Project, a photo exhibit of women with disabilities, showing that disabled women can be attractive. This experience sparks a change in the way I see myself and gives me confidence to compete for and win Ms. Wheelchair Maryland, an education and outreach role to advance understanding of disabled people.
I contribute to a number of publications and presentations that have a national audience, but it is a memoir writing class that I take in the evening that fuels my creativity.
Although I doubt my ability to become an author, my family and friends continue their nearly lifelong encouragement to pursue writing.
Cooper is unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I make the difficult decision to put him down.
2017 - 2018
I am matched with my third service dog, Watson IV.
Just when I had given up the thought of being married, I meet my husband, Matt, via an online dating site. We are married nearly seven months later in February 2018 in Hawaii.
Matt’s work in addiction recovery takes us to South Florida.
2024 - Present
My husband learns of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ She Speaks Conference and registers me before I can say no.
I schedule time with a writing coach to receive an honest appraisal of my writing and put some accountability for myself in place.
Less than a year later, I learn that my book proposal has been accepted by Penguin Random House.