Ep. 10 Shari Cooper - Loving My Skin: A Self-Advocate’s Perspective from Dayton, Ohio

In this episode, we hear from Shari Cooper self-advocate and author of Loving My Skin: A Self-Advocate’s Perspective from Dayton, Ohio.  Shari has worked in the disability field a very long time, tells us how she became involved in self-advocacy, and how she thinks it could be valuable for others to become involved. You can listen to this episode here or check out a transcript in English or Spanish. 

Shari is a strong advocate for everyone who lives with a disability, and her resume proves it. In her position as Public Relations Assistant for Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, Shari is their “blogger-in-chief.” (Check out her blog.) In 1995, Shari graduated from Sinclair Community College with an Associate Degree in Disability Intervention Services. She’s also a columnist for the Dayton Daily News Editorial pages and an award-winning speaker. She even gave a TED talk at TEDx Dayton in 2014 called “Are you OK with yourself?” But the role she cherishes most is that of disability awareness advocate. Shari’s impact as an advocate is far-reaching. She has served on the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and currently serves on The Disability Foundation Board. Shari currently was selected 2019 Women In Business Networking’s Top 25 Women To Watch.