Ana Paula is the National Secretary of the Rights of People with Disabilities within the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, as well as the President of the Brazilian National Council of People with Disabilities.

She’s a public server, specialized in School Physical Education, and in Public Management, through the National School of Public Administration (Escola Nacional de Administração Pública - Enap). She is also an associate researcher at Funcação Oswaldo Cruz.

She was advisor to the General Secretariat of the Presidency, and one of the coordinators of the Presidency’s Inclusion of People with Disabilities program (2013-2026).

International consultant on Inclusion and Disability, she is an activist and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, inspired by her son, a self-advocate with Down syndrome.

She was president of RIADIS – Latin American Network of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and their Families (2012–2021) and IDA – International Alliance of Persons with Disabilities (2018–2021), positions that placed her at the center of the global movement.

She is currently a board member of Down Syndrome International (DSi) and continues to support the development of regional and international advocacy networks. Her career combines personal experience, organizational leadership, and international representation.