Consulting

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Ellen has served as a valuable resource for people facing I/DD-associated challenges for 25 years. Connections throughout the community refer individuals in need of information to Ellen because of her well-known expertise in housing, transportation, SSI/SSDI and health and wellness issues. Ellen has always enjoyed sharing her knowledge with other community members.

Ellen's formal experience in consulting began when the Human Services Institute in Oregon and the Developmental Disabilities Council in North Carolina (www.nccdd.org) asked for her advice in establishing a health and wellness grant called Peer Connections. This group was able to connect self-advocates throughout the Research Triangle in North Carolina. Since then, many other organizations have utilized Ellen's expertise while developing projects.

While Ellen has consulted for many different programs, a few projects are especially notable. First, Ellen's work with self-advocate groups such as Triangle Self-Advocate Network (TSAN) and Lunch and Learn have helped numerous individuals learn how to become more involved in their community and live their life as fully as possible. Ellen has also assisted local governmental organizations with I/DD related projects. For example, Ellen served as the Co-Producer for the 2015-2016 Chapel Hill/Orange County Access Guide. This publication was later awarded a WOW award from Destination Marketing Association International, which recognizes visitor service projects that are creative, effective, and adaptable. Finally, Ellen has been instrumental in changing language to make websites more accessible for people with disabilities. For example, she was hired by the state of North Carolina to reword information on readync.org so that everyone can understand important emergency information.