Common Ground Society

When my son was born the doctors didn’t tell me “congratulations!” Instead their messages conveyed “I’m sorry you have the baby you do and here’s all the things he won’t be able to do.” I was left feeling scared and isolated. I felt like I was on an island by myself trying to figure out how to manage this new life. 

No one should feel that sense of loneliness and isolation I felt as I confronted the challenges of my son’s disability. As he grew, I also realized that people didn’t know how to interact with him or me.  I want people with disabilities to be seen as what they are - people of value. That’s why Common Ground Society was created - to help people focus on our commonalities and to develop an environment of inclusion. 

I am applying for the Elevate Prize because I want to support our community's desire for inclusion. The mentorship and monetary rewards offered by the Elevate Prize would bring our nonprofit to new levels including the opportunity to work with more experienced “problem solvers” and the fiscal ability to reach beyond our county and expand our message to a much bigger audience.

I am a wife, mom and credentialed educator turned advocate for the disabled. As president and co-founder of Common Ground Society, I am determined to redirect the gaze of society to see the strength that lies in diversity and inclusion by educating our community about people with disabilities. My son James, born with Down syndrome, hearing loss and a multitude of medical issues, is my inspiration to create change. I have taught various grades ranging from PreK-8th, winning several awards in my educational career. Resigning from my position as a teacher to care for my son was one of the hardest things she has ever had to do, however, that didn’t end my role as an educator. I have since given over 70 presentations, to a wide variety of audiences, about the value of an inclusive society. I started three local support groups, one with almost 400 families who have loved ones with disabilities, another community group for allies and also a Spanish speaking group with over 60 members. I am a passionate educator turned advocate who will help change the way we view, interact with and support people who are disabled so no one is ever left behind again.

Society as a whole is diminished when segments of the population are disconnected from the whole. 26% of the US population is living with some sort of disability. Disabled people are among our most vulnerable, often isolated from their peers, susceptible to bullying and left behind by society. 

We strive to change these dynamics by increasing knowledge about the benefits of inclusion to the classroom and society in general, thus minimizing the separation between disabled people and the general population. In addition, CGS offers a range of support to individuals with disabilities and their families. We're currently working within Sonoma County, however our goal is to create supportive communities and offer local support to every county in the United States so that everyone feels a sense of belonging. 

We will accomplish this with our unique presentations and ability to create these dynamic and supportive communities. 

Common Ground Society was started by two moms of disabled children doing a presentation to their children’s preschool. Since then we have educated over 71 groups across Sonoma County’s K-12, college, and general community.  Our outreach has increased substantially in the past few years, and our support groups (both in English and Spanish) have grown.

Common Ground Society began by sharing our experiences of raising disabled children in order to educate and empower our community about how to be accepting of people with disabilities.  Having felt an overwhelming sense of isolation when our children were born, we use our stories to facilitate the conversation about how to be inclusive. The presentations we’ve created are different and more effective because we are vulnerable and able to create a genuine connection with our audiences. We start the hard conversations about how to push past the fear people feel when they see someone who acts or looks different. 

"I felt so alone, until I found CGS." - Parent 

CGS is a response to the need for community for all. Often families of rare or one-of-a-kind diagnoses only find support on the internet or hundreds of miles away, leaving them isolated. The support groups we create are innovative because they offer connection in our own local communities. Local support groups were created for both English and Spanish speaking families. CGS is now connecting with organizations in other states to spread our message of inclusion and support families of all diagnoses so no one is ever left feeling isolated again.

One of the most common descriptors that parents of disabled children use is isolation. We’ve created a community in Sonoma County to minimize that feeling providing support and a sense of belonging for families through our presentations, social media, and meet-ups. From two moms of disabled children being vulnerable and sharing their experiences at one preschool presentation, CGS has grown to support our county, as well as other parts of the state and country.

HELLO.BELONGING. is our slogan - it starts with a simple “hello” to someone you don’t know and ends with creating that sense of “belonging”, of inclusion. We’ve presented to over 17,000 preK-12 students to help them and their teachers interweave this concept into their daily activities, as well as 32 other college classes and community groups. We help people find their “brave” to push past their discomfort and fear in order to get to know someone they perceive as different.  We have a large social media platform through which we amplify the voices of disabled people and their families. We are not here for just the disabled community or just to educate the general population - our goal is inclusion and belonging for all.