Emily has had the good fortune to be affiliated with people with disabilities throughout her life. She has over 13 years’ experience doing work as an Employment Consultant and a Positive Behavior Support Consultant with individuals, families, and Employment Agencies in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. She also has international consulting experience working with employment agencies across New Zealand. Emily is committed to the concept of inclusion and full participation and knows that employment is critical to equity. She holds a BS in Arts and Letters with a focus in Women Studies and English, is a Certified Employment Professional through APSE, and currently serves on the National APSE Employment Support Professional Certification Council (ESPCC). Emily is a trainer and trained in the process of Person-Centered Planning. Emily is a natural networker and believes that being connected in your community is vital to the success of connecting people with sustainable employment. 

Karen Gaffney is the President of the Karen Gaffney Foundation. Her non-profit, funded entirely by her speaking engagements, workshops, and donations, is dedicated to championing the journey to full inclusion in families, schools, the workplace, and the community for people with intellectual disabilities. In addition to her work at her nonprofit, Karen works part time in a law firm, 25 hours a week.  

Karen  graduated from St. Mary’s Academy here in Portland, Oregon earning a regular high school diploma and went on to earn a regular  two-year Associates of Science degree from Portland Community College. Karen’s work with advocacy and public speaking has taken her to audiences all over the world where she tries to show that Down syndrome is a life meant to be lived! And she succeeds!

Karen has many critical messages to deliver especially with respect to employment for people living with an intellectual disability. She uses her experiences on the job to advocate for meaningful employment for people with intellectual disabilities, often describing employment as the next big horizon for people like her. She shares “lessons learned” in the working world that resonate with Employers, Hiring Managers, Job Seekers and Job Developers. She is also an outspoken advocate for ongoing Medical Research aimed at improving the lives of those who are living with Down syndrome. 

Karen is a role model for physical fitness, and she builds regular exercise into every aspect of her day. She usually starts the day with a two-mile swim before she heads off to work! She has a lengthy swim resume to keep up! She successfully swam the English Channel as part of a six-person relay team, she swam 9-miles nonstop, straight across the width of Lake Tahoe in 59-degree water and became the subject of the documentary: Crossing Tahoe: A Swimmer’s Dream. She has done many other open water swims on the Columbia River, across Lake Champlain, the Boston Harbor, and the San Francisco Bay just to name a few. All of her swims are fundraising swims, and swims to raise awareness about what people with Down syndrome CAN do!

Karen is the first person with Down syndrome to deliver a TED talk to one of the largest TEDX venues in the world, right in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.  She describes her life as a “Journey of Hope” while she calls attention to the tremendous accomplishments of people living with Down syndrome all over the world.  Karen’s messages provide awareness, recognition and inspiration that Down syndrome is a Life Meant to be Lived!