A Legacy of Advocacy and Leadership

Nikki was born with arthrogryposis, a rare congenital condition that affects joint mobility. She has used a wheelchair for mobility and adapts many daily tasks – for instance, using her feet to write and use tools – due to limited movement in her arms . However, Nikki never allowed her disability to define her limitations. In childhood, she began forging her identity as an advocate. From age 8 to 19, she attended a summer camp for youth with disabilities – affectionately calling it her own “Crip Camp.” This camp experience was formative: not only did she enjoy typical camp activities like fishing, campfires, singing, horseback riding, and even zip-lining, but she also learned invaluable lessons in cross-disability solidarity and self-advocacy. As Nikki later reflected, that summer camp taught her skills and principles of disability justice long before she had words for them . It cemented her belief that people with disabilities can empower each other and lead their communities, rather than just receive care.

In her early adulthood, Nikki’s journey of advocacy truly accelerated. She moved to Minnesota at the age of 22 in search of greater opportunity and community. There, she became deeply involved in disability rights activism and grassroots organizing. Nikki worked with Advocating Change Together (ACT) – a prominent self-advocacy organization – where she eventually took on the role of Disability Culture and Leadership Specialist . In this position, she mentors other people with disabilities to become self-advocates and works to build a vibrant disability culture. Through ACT and other community groups, Nikki has taught workshops on dismantling systemic barriers and has helped individuals find their voice in speaking up for their rights.

Nikki also put her advocacy into practice in the political arena. She participated in voter outreach and organizing efforts to increase civic engagement among people with disabilities. In 2009, she worked on voter outreach for Minnesota’s Secretary of State election, and in 2010 she helped develop accessible door-knocking methods for political campaigns . This innovative door-knocking system – which she later implemented in campaigns like Keith Ellison’s run for Minnesota Attorney General – enabled campaign volunteers with disabilities to canvass neighborhoods more easily . By adapting strategies (such as pairing canvassers so that someone could physically approach doors on behalf of a wheelchair user), Nikki proved that inclusion in political campaigning is achievable. These early advocacy experiences reinforced her conviction that people with disabilities not only deserve a seat at the table, but can also design the outreach strategies to get them there.

By the 2010s, Nikki’s advocacy had paved the way for a transition into public service. In 2014, the Maplewood City Council appointed her to help write the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan for 2020 . Her insightful contributions led to her subsequent appointment and service as the Chair of the Maplewood Parks and Recreation Commission . In that role, she championed expanding accessibility and inclusion in Maplewood’s parks, trails, and public spaces. Her leadership on the commission, coupled with over a decade of state-level advocacy at the Capitol, set the stage for a historic run for office.

In 2018, Nikki narrowly lost a bid for Maplewood City Council by just five votes in a recount. Undeterred, she ran again in 2020 – this time mounting a grassroots campaign centered on community engagement and accessibility. Nikki pioneered “Yardside Chats,” an approach where she invited neighbors and residents to meet with her informally in her front yard every Friday from noon to 4 p.m. This open-door weekly forum allowed constituents, including many who might feel unwelcome in traditional political events, to voice their concerns and ideas directly. By Election Night 2020, Nikki saw the impact of her inclusive campaign. She made history as the first disabled Filipinx city council member in Maplewood, Minnesota . Running in a crowded at-large race, she earned nearly 8,000 votes – about 28.6% of the total – placing first among the candidates . “I was so shocked, now I’m starting to realize it’s a real thing,” she said upon seeing the results. Her vote total was roughly 700 votes higher than the next closest candidate, a resounding victory margin.

When Nikki was sworn in as a Maplewood City Council member in January 2021, she broke multiple barriers. She was the only member of the council living with a physical disability, and also one of very few Filipinx Americans to hold local office in the region. From day one in office, Nikki committed to making Maplewood’s government more accessible, transparent, and accountable to all residents. One of her first priorities was restoring the public comment period in City Council meetings – a practice that had been removed in the past. Nikki, who had spent years testifying at the State Capitol as a citizen advocate, felt it was wrong that Maplewood residents didn’t have the same opportunity at their local council meetings . Thanks in part to her efforts, Maplewood reinstated regular public comment, ensuring that voices of marginalized community members are heard in local governance. Nikki also brought her lived experience to policy discussions on housing and transit (noting that she was the only councilmember who relied on public transportation and the only renter on the council). She has continually emphasized that when a community is made more accessible for those at the margins, everyone benefits: “If I make the community accessible to me, and people like me, it’s going to work for a lot more people – the young mothers, the seniors, the families that don’t have a car,” Nikki explains 

Even as she serves in city government, Nikki has remained a prominent voice for disability justice at the state level. In 2019, she was appointed by Governor Tim Walz to the Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD), and she now serves as the Chair of that Council . In this capacity, she helps lead statewide initiatives to advance the rights and opportunities of Minnesotans with disabilities. Under her leadership, the MCD has pushed for improvements in accessible housing, employment, healthcare, and transportation. Nikki has been particularly passionate about issues affecting parents with disabilities and transportation accessibility, based on her own life experiences.

One of Nikki’s signature advocacy efforts has been the fight for the Parenting with Disabilities legislation. As a young mother with a disability – she and her partner, Darrell, are parents to a daughter – Nikki experienced bias and obstacles in the healthcare and child welfare systems. In 2017, she and Darrell helped craft and champion the “Parenting with Disabilities” bill in the Minnesota Legislature . This proposed legislation aimed to prevent unfair interventions from child protective services solely on the basis of a parent’s disability. It also sought funding for adaptive parenting equipment and allowed personal care assistants to help with minor parenting tasks, ensuring disabled parents could access the supports they need . Nikki’s advocacy included testifying before lawmakers and sharing her own hospital experiences after childbirth, where she and her partner faced skepticism about their ability to care for their newborn . Her efforts paid off: the bill gained bipartisan attention, passing through key House committees and advancing in the Senate . In subsequent years, portions of this initiative were adopted into law. By 2021, Nikki could proudly say she had helped pass legislation supporting parents with disabilities , moving Minnesota closer to ending discriminatory practices in family law and child welfare. These changes mean that courts and agencies must focus on actual evidence of a child’s welfare and consider available supports, rather than make assumptions based on a parent’s disability.

Most recently, Nikki has turned her attention to transportation equity for people with disabilities. In 2024, she publicly called out Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft for their failure to provide on-demand wheelchair-accessible rides in Minnesota. While services such as UberWAV (wheelchair-accessible vehicle rides) exist in cities like Washington, D.C., and other markets, they remain virtually unavailable to Minnesota riders who use wheelchairs. This gap forces people with disabilities to rely on slower, less flexible transit options. As Chair of the MCD, Nikki has advocated for policies to hold TNCs accountable and require them to include wheelchair-accessible vehicles in their Minnesota fleets . Her stance is that the convenience and freedom of on-demand rides should be available to everyone. “Uber and Lyft must be required to provide wheelchair accessible vans for Minnesota to be a more inclusive state,” an MCD statement asserted, echoing Nikki’s sentiments . Thanks in part to this advocacy, lawmakers in 2024 introduced incentives for TNC drivers to operate wheelchair-accessible vehicles and considered mandates for minimum numbers of such vehicles . Nikki continues to push for these changes so that disabled Minnesotans can enjoy the same spontaneous mobility that Uber and Lyft offer to other riders.

Throughout all these efforts, Nikki’s approach to advocacy is rooted in justice and intersectionality. She often emphasizes that disability rights must include all voices and identities – noting that historically, the disability rights movement centered white, male experiences, something disability justice seeks to broaden . In her work with ACT and MCD, she strives to center those most marginalized, whether they are people of color with disabilities, women, or others facing overlapping inequities. By bringing an intersectional lens to policy, Nikki ensures that initiatives like accessible housing or employment programs consider the diverse needs within the disability community.

Nikki’s leadership and trailblazing career are deeply intertwined with her family’s legacy. Just as her grandfather, Dr. Celso Villavicencio, was a pioneer in medicine and community service for Portage’s residents, Nikki has become a pioneer for disability justice and inclusive government in Minnesota. She often credits her grandfather as a guiding inspiration, saying, “My grandfather is one of the main reasons I do a lot of what I do in the community… He helped out in the community everywhere he could, and I always wanted to be like him” . Indeed, Nikki has embodied that same spirit of service — tirelessly volunteering, organizing, and eventually holding office to improve the lives of others.

Her mother’s family, the Tollisons, also instilled in her a strong sense of perseverance and community-mindedness. The stories of what her relatives endured—such as her grandparents overcoming racist laws to be together, and her family being the only minority family in their town—shaped Nikki’s resolve to fight against injustice . She learned that meaningful change often requires challenging the status quo and breaking barriers, just as her family did before her. This generational inheritance of resilience fueled Nikki’s drive to open doors for those who come after her.

Today, Nikki Villavicencio-Tollison wears many hats: she is a mother, an elected official, and a disability rights advocate. In each of these roles, she continues to fight for a future where people with disabilities are recognized not just as participants in society, but as leaders, decision-makers, and change-makers. From the days of summer camp where she first found her voice, to the halls of the Maplewood City Council where she now shapes policy, Nikki’s journey stands as a testament to the power of persistence and community. She often says that democracy should start at the bottom, reflecting her belief that true inclusion begins at the local, grassroots level . By staying true to that principle, Nikki has created a legacy that lights the way for others. Her story shows that when marginalized people are included at the decision-making table, entire communities benefit – becoming more accessible, equitable, and vibrant for everyone.