Self-advocates speak up at Reinventing Quality Conference

Self-advocates Barbara Coppens and Gary Rubin
at Reinventing Quality Conference earlier this week in Baltimore

Neither Barbara Coppens nor Gary Rubin is soft-spoken. They’re from New Jersey. That’s probably why people pay attention to what they say. Barbara, the cover story in the Summer 2012 issue of Apostrophe (www.apostrophemagazine.com), was among a group of panelists talking about key issues in self-advocacy organizations, at the just-concluded Reinventing Quality Conference (http://www.reinventingquality.org/) in Baltimore. 

Gary, who also advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, was recently formally recognized for his efforts when he was named the 2012 winner of the Jane Miller Award for advocacy by the New Jersey Self Advocacy Project, an arm of The Arc of New Jersey. The New Jersey Self Advocacy Project provides statewide support for New Jersey’s self-advocates with intellectual and related disabilities to help them make a change on both personal and social levels. Rubin is also a member of Community Access Unlimited, which supports people with disabilities and at-risk youth, providing services to help them live independently within the community, including housing, life-skills training and advocacy support.

You can read more about Gary at http://njtoday.net/2012/04/19/advocate-for-people-with-disabilities-honored/#ixzz234VyizuF.