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CONTACT: John Bosser, Community Outreach Coordinator, 740.687.7244

Brown Named Self-Advocate of the Year for 2006

LANCASTER, OHIO (March 16, 2006) – C hristine Brown, 25, of Lancaster, Ohio, has been named the 2006 Self-Advocate of the Year by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and Ohio Public Images.

The presentation of the award was made at the annual winter conference of the Ohio Association of County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and the Ohio Association of Superintendents of County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Christine has been described as the “self-advocate’s advocate” for her commitment to helping others find their own voice. That commitment began when she graduated from Pickerington High School in 1999 and realized a void in her community.

People with disabilities who lived in Pickerington didn’t have a way to get around town. They had to rely on family or friends, but for many, simply getting from home to the grocery store or doctor’s office usually required a lot of planning. And it often meant an inconvenience for someone.

So she went into action. It took three years, but after meetings with then Pickerington Mayor Randy Hughes and countless other city and state officials—including a trip to the Ohio Department of Transportation in Columbus—the Pickerington Shuttle hit the road in 2003. And it has been taking people with disabilities of all types to and fro ever since.

That was just the beginning.

“I’ve always felt the need to become more independent,” said Christine. “And one way towards independence is learning to speak up for yourself.”

So she worked with a team to develop a business plan and attended a couple of workshops presented by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.

And in 2004, Christine and a friend, Steve Cooley, applied for and received a micro-enterprise grant that helped them form Brown-Cooley Associates in Self-Determination.

Steve passed away in 2005, but the business continues. Christine now works out of her apartment and an office at the Opportunity Center that she visits three days a week, and she has speaking engagements and training sessions scheduled throughout the state.

She accomplished a lot in 2005:

• Participated in Project Vote, a program to help train others with disabilities the importance of voting, how to register and how to make their voice heard on Election Day.
• Began a program to help train staff members at Fairfield MRDD, as well as in several other Ohio counties.
• Spoken to consumer groups in other counties.
• Provided one-on-one training to help individuals and families find resources in their communities.

She is now working to establish a self-advocacy group, People First, in Fairfield County.

“We’re dedicated to helping families learn to work with the system,” she said. “We feel it’s an important issue because people need help in a variety of areas, including parents, children, providers, personal advocates and self-advocates.

“Individuals need to know their rights so they can become active in their community.”

Christine, herself, has taken that advice to heart. And people with disabilities throughout Ohio, as well as those who work with them every day, are benefiting from her dedication.

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Fairfield County Board of MRDD

795 College Ave. § Lancaster, Ohio 43130 § 740.687.7244