03/24/2026
Congratulations to Cindy Bentley of People First Wisconsin for being recognized for her lifetime of work on behalf of people with disabilities!
People First Wisconsin congratulates Cindy Bentley for being named the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD.) She will receive the award on Friday, March 13th at their annual conference. Watch for more photos of the event. Way to go Cindy!
Image Description: A newspaper clipping with a picture of a short-haired, smiling African american woman. The newspaper text reads, Bentley named Lifetime Achievement award recognition. Milwaukee--Cindy Bentley of Milwaukee has been named the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient by the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disability (AAIDD). Bentley serves as Executive Director of People First Wisconsin and has been a life-long advocate for the rights and accessibility of people with developmental disabilities. Born with a disability in 1957, she spent most of her young life in an institution and the foster care system,. She became active in Special Olympics, winning her first gold medal at the age of 13. She was named the Special Olympics International Athlete of the year in 1991 and became the international spokesperson for the organization. In 1999, she helped found People First Wisconsin and today serves as its Executive Director. In honor of her achievements, UW-MIlwaukee granted her an honorary doctorate in 2025. AAIDD is the oldest and largest professional organization in the Developmental Disability field. Founded in 1876, the group is celebrating it's 150th anniversary this year. it's very fitting in our anniversary year that this life-time achievement award is presented to Cindy Bentley, said Dan Drury of the Wisconsin Chapter. In the disability field there is no voice more important than that of the self-advocate. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at AAIDD-Wisconsin's annual conference on March 13 on the campus of UW-River Falls. For more information about the conference, visit http://www.aaiddwi.com/conference/
