Meet Kathleen Johnson. Wearing many different hats, Kathleen has worked in the disability advocacy field for many years. In addition to being a wife and mother to children with various needs, she recently started a nonprofit art studio/gallery for people with disabilities. Through her work, Kathleen has learned just how important self-determination is. We are so fortunate to have her as a member of the Network.

• How are you involved with self-directed supports and self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?

I started a nonprofit whose mission it is to provide vocational and financial support to individuals with disabilities who are interested in supplementing their SSI/SSDI to become more financially independent. Indigo Wings provides studio space in a comfortable environment so that people can create and then we sell those beautiful creations on our gallery. The artist is not pressured to produce and decides what they want to sell and for how much. We need more teachers for classes and mentoring.

I guess I started to learn about self-directed supports when I started working for Wisconsin Disability Coalition and met amazing people who managed to escape nursing homes and other institutions to build a life in the community. That was 37 years ago. Weve come a long way; yet, theres so much more needs to be done.

I met my husband at a board meeting and it was love at first sight; the fact that her was sitting in a power wheelchair wasnt a problem. He was 15 when he broke his neck, but his family brought him home from rehab and treated him as they had before the accident. They made the modifications to the house and their daily lives to support him. He went on to finish school, get a job, buy a home, start an Independent Living Center and move to take a new job, marry, start a family and be an advocate for people with disabilities. During our marriage, we became foster parents to 20 children in 10 years. Most of the children had been neonatally exposed to alcohol and drugs so had a variety of diagnoses from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Attention Deficit Disorder--to name a few. We adopted six of those foster children and began to investigate services available or not, and work on how they were going to be able to support themselves as adults.

I joined the SD Network to find people who work with people who have disabilities, have disabilities themselves or both.

• Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms self-determination or Self-Directed Supports?

This year I have learned so much about how much work it is to start a nonprofit! It has been both exciting and blood curdling. Along the way, I have met incredibly talented people. This dream began because I wanted to help my own children and it has grown from my five artists to sixteen talented individuals. Now comes the scary part; I dont want to let any of these artists down so this has to succeed. All of these artists are trying to support themselves and improve their lives. Indigo Wings wants to be one of the options available in the community for people to choose from.

• What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to direct their own supports, or who would want to be more self-determined?

Get a big piece of paper and make a map of your future. Start with where you want to be in five years (dream big) at the end of the page and fill in the space in between with what you can do in the next six months, one year, two years, etc These will be the short-term goals that will help you achieve your long-range goal.

• What message would you like to share with the members of the SD Network?

We all need to keep thinking outside the box to provide supports for a population of individuals who have diverse dreams.

• What's your dream vacation?

I would love to visit Japan with my husband, I was there nearly 40 years ago and I would love to show him the beauty. Much of the country hasnt changed, but I believe the accessibility will have improved greatly. They are celebrating their version of our ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) this year.

***We love hearing the views and opinions of Network members. We need to mention that the views and opinions expressed on this site are those of the person who is sharing them. They do not necessarily reflect InControl Wisconsin or any of our supporters and funders.