Paralegal
Emily Van Kirk arrives to DRI from the U.S. Department of Defense, where she watched the geopolitical events of the day. She was first exposed to disability culture through a high school peer program that connected her to classmates with disabilities and while teaching swim lessons to children with intellectual disabilities. Later, when clerking in the Iowa Statehouse, Emily performed initial constituent case assessments and had the opportunity to engage Iowans with disabilities affected by Medicaid privatization. Emily’s older sister is a special education teacher and her younger sister coordinates activities in a residential care home. Having received her BA in Asian Languages and Literature, Emily is a self-described China watcher; she also spends her free time binging international TV dramas, playing video games, and frequenting the metro’s skate parks. Emily is excited to be back in Des Moines supporting DRI’s attorneys and advocates to uplift and protect people with disabilities across Iowa.
