“I’ve been working here for six years. I answer the telephone. I do birthday cards and welcome packets. I do attendance sheets, and I also do special projects and advocacy work. It’s my dream job, and I love working with all of my coworkers, meeting new people, and seeing my friends.  

We support families of people with Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities. Every year we do a Buddy Walk, with more than 10,000 people coming out to support us, and we do a dance performance. I love to do the performance, it’s a lot of fun. 

We also have the Dancing with Our Stars Gala where I partnered with my friend Kyle for a performance. Dancing is my passion. 

I also went to Washington D.C. to tell my story about Medicaid and why it’s important to me to protect it. I have a provider that takes me grocery shopping, she takes me to sports. I also live in a house with a roommate. I need Medicaid to do all of these things. I also testified at the Statehouse to remove the R-word and derogatory language [from the Ohio Revised Code]. I love doing advocacy work. 

Inclusion is important to me. Inclusion is when someone tells me I can sit with them, and when people let me help with a project. I don’t like to see people getting left out, because sometimes I get left out. It’s not fair. So the best way to support someone is by including them.

Others can help ElevateDD by making a donation, following us on Facebook and Instagram, and being someone who includes others and advocates for inclusion.” 

Stephanie Leppert is DSACO’s Outreach & Advocacy Associate at ElevateDD, which is made up of three communities: The Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio, Learning Aid Ohio, and Adult Literacy Ohio.