Advocating for Others for Three Decades

If you’re speaking with someone in Atlanta’s disability community and you mention Sheryl Arno, their face will light up. Sheryl has been working in disability advocacy for over 30 years and has made a tremendous impact in the lives of thousands of people. And her advocacy began in, and is still inspired by, Jewish culture.

Sheryl built her career working in Jewish organizations. While she is now the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta (DSAA), a secular group, she says that she still draws on the lessons she learned as part of the Jewish community. “The Jewish community is unique in their support for people with disabilities,” Sheryl says, “We are a model for other faith-based organizations.”

In 2013, she saw firsthand how quickly the community could mobilize when The Amit Program closed. Amit was Atlanta’s centralized Jewish special education agency, which ran the Gar’inim School, learning support programs, a special needs Sunday School, a virtual parent support network, professional development opportunities, consultation services, and more. Without Amit, these programs were in danger, and the families and individuals they served would have been stranded.

Sheryl, who at the time was working as an independent consultant under the banner AbilityMatters, was asked by Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta to join a Disability Task Force to fill the void left by Amit’s closure. Sheryl was chosen to be the first Co-Chairperson for the task force, alongside Amit board president Ina Enoch. Sheryl was impressed with how quickly Federation stepped in to fill the gap left by Amit’s closure.

“I’ve been working with Federation for many years, and I’ve never seen it respond so quickly to a need in the community,” she says. The Disability Task Force eventually became Jewish Abilities Atlanta (JAA), a targeted philanthropy within Federation that supports individuals with disabilities and their families.

In 2017, Sheryl became the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta (DSAA). DSAA provides resources and education for families and individuals and serves Georgians from Rome to Griffin to McDonough. DSAA services include advocacy and running programs like the Hispanic Down Syndrome Association and Black Family Connections.

Sheryl says, “It is so important to create spaces where people feel included. Black Family Connections is only a year old but has already connected 150 families who did not previously know each other.”

She likens it to her work over the years with Jewish organizations and seeing the difference in people’s lives when “they can meet and share resources with people just like them who are having the same experiences.”

Now, Sheryl feels like she’s in a unique position to continue her advocacy work.

“I’m able to support people from both perspectives: as a layperson, and as an advocate within Jewish spaces.”

Amy Murphy is the current Manager for JAA. She says, “Sheryl has made tremendous contributions to the disability community and can often be found at The Capitol when the Georgia General Assembly is in session advocating for people with disabilities. She is well known with legislators and others in the field for her passion and commitment to the disability community.”

When asked what people can do to help those with disabilities, Sheryl says that the most valuable assets people can give are their understanding and empathy. “It doesn’t take money to change philosophical problems, and inclusion is philosophical,” she says.

DSAA, JAA, and other organizations need help with this psychological shift; it’s up to individuals to challenge the way things have always been done.

“Donations are important to keep our programs running, but it really isn’t about money. You don’t have to have money to make a difference. People feel like if they don’t have money, they can’t be of use, and that’s not true.”

Sheryl has certainly made a difference. Her decades of dedication have helped to make Atlanta more inclusive and accessible. There is still significant progress to be made toward making people with varying abilities feel welcome, but luckily for us, Sheryl isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

The Jewish community is unique in their support for people with disabilities.