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About Kelly Narowski

My Story

Kelly is a professional speaker and has delivered speeches to hundreds of audiences including schools, leadership conferences, and military groups to name a few.

Speaking Topics: Disability Awareness, Safety, Resilience, Disability Law, & Accessible Travel
kelly narowski-professional disability presenter

When I was a kid, I never imagined I’d one day be using a wheelchair to get around instead of my legs. But just months after graduating from college, a couple of split-second decisions changed everything. A car crash left me with a spinal cord injury, and for a while, I truly believed my life was over. And in a way, it was. However, the injury led to incredible post-traumatic growth and eventually sparked a personal evolution. What once was a tragedy became one of my biggest triumphs.

Today, I’m a professional speaker and disability rights advocate. My speaking career began over two decades ago by telling a short version of my personal story at various schools. Back then, I focused exclusively on safety and injury prevention. While that remains an important part of my work, it’s no longer the whole story.

Preventing car crash fatalities and catastrophic injuries is undeniably important, and I continue to speak on the topic frequently. But a few years ago, I realized something crucial: I never want my message to sound like, “Drive safely so you don’t end up like me.”

That shift in perspective led me to focus on something deeper. I wanted to show that individuals with disabilities can and do thrive and that disability is a natural part of the human experience. With this realization, I expanded my work to include educating and speaking on topics related to disability awareness and inclusion.

I’m all about keeping it real, so my speeches are authentic and focused on building a genuine connection with the audience. Whether you’re looking for a keynote on the disability element of diversity, a presentation about personal safety and building resilience skills, or a training session about disability law and policy, I’d love to chat about how I can bring something meaningful to your organization!

Qualifications & Credentials

Education

- Master’s Degree in Disability Studies
- Master’s Degree in Psychology
- Bachelor’s Degree in Health & Exercise Science

Certifications

- Certified ADA Coordinator
- Army Master Resilience Trainer

Professional Experience

- Delivered hundreds of motivational and educational talks across diverse topics and venues
- Presented over 200 safety speeches for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, addressing audiences of 12 to 3,000 people.

Awards and Honors

- 2023 VIP Speaker of the Year, The Think First Foundation
- Iron Mike Award for Volunteerism
- Commander’s Award for Public Service
- Dr. Mary E. Walker Award

Leadership & Board Roles

- Director, Life Unlimited, Inc. (Current)
- Vice Chair & Director, Two Centers for Independent Living (Past)
- Liaison, 82nd Airborne Division’s Wounded Warriors Committee
- Legal Advocate, Fayetteville Council for Persons with Disabilities

Presentations

Some of my Clients...

Some of my military audiences have included units within the 101st Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division, 1st Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division, 5th Special Forces Group, and 4th Psychological Operations Group, Old Guard, 1st Marine Division, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Corps Special Operations Command, and many others.

I’ve had the privilege of delivering speeches at many military installations, several of which I’ve visited multiple times:

  • Fort Liberty (Bragg), NC
  • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
  • Fort Wainwright, AK
  • Fort Campbell, KY
  • Fort Drum, NY
  • Fort Riley, KS
  • Presidio of Monterey, CA
  • Fort Johnson (Polk), LA
  • Fort Gregg-Adams (Lee), VA
  • Fort McNair, DC
  • Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall (Myer), DC
  • Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, TX
  • Fort Belvoir, VA
  • Fort Leavenworth, KS
  • Camp Lejeune, NC
  • Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twenty-Nine Palms, CA
  • Marine Corps Air Station New River, NC
  • Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC
  • Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC
  • Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, FL
  • Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, GA
  • Fort Liberty (Bragg), NC
  • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
  • Fort Wainwright, AK
  • Fort Campbell, KY
  • Fort Drum, NY
  • Fort Riley, KS
  • Presidio of Monterey, CA
  • Fort Johnson (Polk), LA
  • Fort Gregg-Adams (Lee), VA
  • Fort McNair, DC
  • Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall (Myer), DC
  • Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, TX
  • Fort Belvoir, VA
  • Fort Leavenworth, KS
  • Camp Lejeune, NC
  • Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twenty-Nine Palms, CA
  • Marine Corps Air Station New River, NC
  • Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC
  • Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC
  • Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, FL
  • Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, GA
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