Sharon is one remarkable woman. Raised on a farm in northwest Washington
State in the 1940's and 50's, she began life in a slower paced era.
Yet she has embraced life, using her many strengths to accomplish great
things as an artist, a teacher and promoter of the arts, and as an advocate
for people with disabilities.
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Sharon is an artist in many media, including painting, writing and poetry.
(See the photo gallery) Through VSA Arts (formerly
known as Very Special Artists) she has also been prominent locally as
a teacher and a significant advocate for universal access to the arts.
She has been Vice-Chair of VSA of Washington (VSAAW) through which she
advocates for inclusive arts programs in the schools. Read Sharon's Corner
on the VSAAW website for a history of local advocacy efforts through Artists
Unlimited.
Sharon's advocacy efforts don't stop with art, and extends well beyond
the local and regional level. She has been a volunteer career mentor
for the University of Washington
DO-IT program She has been trained in ADA
law and is actively involved in accessibility planning for Seattle Center
as well as for her own church community. She travels to Washington,
D.C. each fall as a member of the National Board for People with Disabilities.
For 9 years, she was on the board for Washington State Protection and
Advocacy System (WPAS).
She has been on the board of directors for United Cerebral Palsy Affiliates
of Washington State, later transformed into Provail.
As an active member of the Council on Consumer Affairs for the Association
of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
she has worked for full accessibility of education-based information
technology on the national level. She is on the board of AAC
enABLES.
In this video clip, Sharon is shown testifying at a hearing at Washington
State DSHS against a proposal to change the rules for funding AAC
devices.
| AT Note
The technology in this clip is dated; this individual
now has newer equipment. |
(click image to enlarge)
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Read Video Description
& Transcript
With her husband, Alan King, Sharon has published "Our Lives,
Our Community, Our Caregivers" in Speaking Up and Spelling It
Out: Personal Essays on Augmentative and Alternative Communication,
edited by Melanie Fried-Oken, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, & Hank A. Bersani,
Jr., Ph.D.(Paul H.
Brookes Publishing Company)
Sharon uses a Liberator from PRC
for voice output, but she also relies on an alphabet board, gestures,
writing in the air, and speech with familiar partners.
Follow this link to see a list of other video clips of Sharon: Sharon
and Alan's video clips. As you will see, she is a very active member
of her community.
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