Author: Shari Cooper

Football season is upon us and I’m excited. As you should know from previous blog posts, I’m a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan but after hearing of Andrew Luck’s story, I’m now a fan of his too. Luck, who was the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, announced he’s retiring from the game. The very successful player,... Read more »

There have been many people who have helped me on my path to advocacy; including my family, school members, friends, and a very important mentor in advocacy, David Zwyer! I first met David in my early thirties when I became involved with the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. David was a tall man and very well-spoken.... Read more »

It’s festival time again and you know what that means “Festival Girl” is hitting the streets! I love attending festivals especially when I get the chance to try good food, good drinks, and learn about other cultures. Although I’ve attended the Italian Festa before, this time was even more exciting! My friend/co-worker, Cindy, personally invited... Read more »

I love voting! I’ve been doing so since I turned eighteen.  I vote in every election rather it’s general, primary or special. When I was younger, I would go to my polling location to cast my vote. It was just something about the hustle and bustle that got me hyped. To see all the people... Read more »

Did you have that one neighbor?  The one who became the surrogate mother to all the kids in the neighborhood? I did and she was a wonderful woman named, Pearl Cook. The grown-ups called her, Cookie. Mrs. Cook walked really fast and stood around four foot four, but she was a powerhouse and all the... Read more »

Have you ever had a dream of accomplishing something but because of life, you let it go? Well here is a story about a woman who beats the odds.  It is a true motivator for others and a great story to share in the celebration of Women’s Equality Day on August 26th. Leslie Irby flew... Read more »

Often, when you meet a person for the very first time, you really never know how he or she is going to react. This deems to be even truer if you have a disability. One place where you can count on meeting a person you don’t know is on an airplane. Unless you’ve made plans... Read more »

Who remembers the classic movie, BIG, starring the incredible actor, Tom Hanks? If you liked BIG, you’ll love the movie, Little. Little is about a very mean, complicated, self-absorbed woman, named Jordan. Jordan is played by the actress, Regina Hall. Although Jordan is a very successful business woman, the anger she has inside makes her... Read more »

A few weeks ago I had the awesome opportunity to present at the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities Conference (NACDD) in the amazing city, New Orleans! I was invited to partake on a five person panel that presented different perspectives of advocacy efforts. The panel included a parent, who of a Dominican decent,... Read more »

I attended Gorman Elementary School. Gorman was a school for kids with disabilities and located around the corner from United Cerebral Palsy and Dayton Children’s Hospital. I used to think it was ironic for all of the facilities to be located in the same area. I now know it was purposely set that way to... Read more »