Client News
Indianapolis disability advocate honored at Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities annual conference
INDIANAPOLIS – Karen Vaughn, a devoted advocate for people with disabilities, was honored today at the annual Conference for People with Disabilities in Indianapolis for her advocacy work. Vaughn received a Community Spirit Award for a Person with a Disability from the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities in recognition of her outstanding leadership in Central Indiana’s disability community.
Vaughn, a 1992 graduate of the Council’s Partners in Policymaking program, has testified before local legislators, public hearings and congressional subcommittees about issues related to the inclusion of people with disabilities. Her accomplishments include working with others to secure a $2.4 million grant to improve para-transit, acquiring $39.4 million for transitioning individuals from institutions, passing Medicaid Buy-In legislation and developing an Olmstead Plan in Indiana.
Vaughn has also served on the Metro Advisory Council for Indianapolis Para-transit Services and the Consumer Advisory Council for the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, as well as on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Resource Center for Independent Living, the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities and currently serves on the Indiana Legal Services Board.
Since 1993, Vaughn has run her own business, Vaughn & Associates Consulting Services, which uses a trans-disciplinary approach to offer training related to issues of concern for people with disabilities, families, consumers and professionals.
The Governor’s Council began recognizing disability advocates for outstanding leadership in 2006 as part of the Community Spirit Awards program, which also recognizes individuals and organizations in a second category—Disability Awareness Month campaigns. Winners are rewarded for their efforts to ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunities, supports and access they need to become fully included in society. Each year, recipients are honored at the Governor’s Council’s conference, which provides a unique forum for presenting a wide array of information on both local and national issues that impact the disability community.
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The Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, a federally funded state agency, works to change Indiana public policy so Hoosiers with disabilities can live independently, work productively and be included fully in community life.
As part of its efforts, the Council works in partnership with disability-related organizations and sponsors many initiatives that contribute to attitude and system transformation. These organizations work statewide to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.