Karen Gaffney
 |
 |
This woman was as engaging a speaker as I've ever heard. She had a pleasant demeanor and relevant topics for which she made a compelling case for mainstreaming those with Downs Syndrome.
She completed a relay swim of the English Channel and performed other feats of endurance swimming prowess far beyond those of most mortals.
She is also the president of the Karen Gaffney Foundation, a non-profit organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon "dedicated to championing the journey to full inclusion for people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities".
She is a remarkable, intelligent, articulate and eloquent woman who happens to have Down Syndrome.
Her delightful and engaging presence held my attention as she spoke volumes regarding that which I simply cannot view as a disability at all given her exquisite logical thoroughness ...
I kept revisiting the thought that this woman is quite normal (whatever that is) as far as I could tell and I for one look forward to enjoying her next presentation should that moment arise for me personally.
She proved time and time again that the world is not what it once was when it comes to Down Syndrome when those affected with it prove functional on a par with the intellect of any academe you might encounter.