John D. Kemp, Esq. is President & CEO of The Viscardi Center. A renowned, global speaker and a person with a disability, he inspires others to achieve the impossible through knowledge, experience, vision, and persistence.
He graduated from Georgetown University in 1971 and Washburn University School of Law in 1974. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Washburn in May 2003. In 1995, Mr. Kemp co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities with Paul G. Hearne. In 2001, he became a partner in the Washington, DC Law Firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C.
In March 2006, Mr. Kemp received the Henry B. Betts Award, widely regarded as America's highest honor for disability leadership and service. In December 2014, he received the Dole Leadership Prize and joined a prestigious group of international recipients including Nelson Mandela and former U.S. Presidents.
He also chairs Viscardi’s Project Accessible Oral Health, a global public-private partnership in pursuit of improved overall health and access for the disability community.