Lauren Taylor M.S., CRC, LPC-Associate

Lauren is an alumni of the University of North Texas Rehabilitation Counseling program. She is currently employed by UNT WISE ENGAGE as a Senior Program Project Coordinator, where she works with neurodivergent students to enhance their independence and work towards their personal, academic, social, and vocational goals. She is also employed by Balanced Life Solutions and Prosper Health as a Licensed Professional Counselor, where she sees clients with and without disabilities for mental health therapy. Additionally, Lauren is a LEADer for To Be Like Me, a non-profit in Dallas operated by people of various disabilities designed to educate today’s youth and communities about disabilities.

Lauren was born with Muscular Dystrophy and has been a full-time power chair user since the age of 3. Lauren is an all-around advocate for people with disabilities. She loves to provide training and presentations about Universal Design, Disability Etiquette, and the Rights of Service Dogs and their Handlers. Her Canine Companions service dog, Buchanan, retired in 2025 but he continues to be a driving force behind her advocacy work.

To date, Lauren was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Texas in 2019, an advocacy title that allowed her to travel the state of Texas to educate on and advocate for her platform of Universal Design as the Solution for Inclusion. Lauren was later appointed to the Texas Board of Architecture Examiners, followed by joining the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities to aid in the growth of disability recognition across the state. Currently, Lauren sits on the Customer Accessibility Advisory Committee for Southwest Airlines, serving as a representative for physical accessibility across all processes and interactions on the day of travel. Lauren views air travel as the final frontier for accessibility and is passionate about equitable flight services for people with disabilities.