Emma Sullivan

EMMA SULLIVAN (elsullivan@everybodycounts.org)

“People with disabilities have the right and responsibility to screw their lives up as much as people without disabilities. They have the right and responsibility to be fully involved and integrated into all aspects and avenues of society.”

Emma has been fighting for social justice on many levels for a very long time. A native

Of Indianapolis, she has over 25 years of experience working with people with disabilities, consumer groups and community-based organizations. She is passionate about keeping hope alive that the independent living/disability rights movement will once again be all that it was. But she is also involved in other efforts to make this world a better one.

She says she’s been working for or with Everybody Counts for about 250 years,

give or take. The truth goes more like this:  a few years ago, after many years as friend and colleague to our motley crew, Emma began a more formal relationship as a contractual administrator.

In that capacity, she is currently the Program Director for Indiana F.A.C.E.S., and also

provides valuable assistance to the Executive Director, in the way of bookkeeping, working with the accountant, helping with staff training and development and a

whole bunch of other things.

“Being a part of this work brings headaches, heartaches, troubles and disappointments, along with the joy of striving for justice and equality. I love it when I get to create something or help someone learn something, or come to a new revelation.”

Emma has a B.A. in social work, but as a reformed social worker she doesn’t like to

talk about it much. She worked in the mental health field for a number of years before

joining the staff at the Indianapolis Resource Center for Independent Living, where

she held a number of positions before becoming the co-Executive Director about

seven years ago.

Emma has traveled and trained around the world, and has a life goal of seeing every

one of the large bodies of water on this earth.  She is also part of the Inclusion Network, helping individuals and organizations to clearly see where they are and find the way to move forward.

Come to think of it, that’s what she’s also doing for us.

She’s mother to Dion, Brandon and Kevin, and grandmother to four, all of whom

live with her in Indianapolis, where she spends about half of her time.