Shawn Fulton was born in 1973, grew up in Marion, and attended Madison-Grant schools. He has been a client of Carey Services since 1992, but since that time, he has been much more than a client. Shawn has shown his passion through leadership and activism to help improve the lives of people with disabilities. Shawn helped initiate and promote Indiana’s ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act https://www.saind.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Nims-News-March-2016.pdf, signed by Governor Pence in 2016, setting up a funding program for qualified individuals with disabilities. Shawn is on Indiana’s Self Advocates of Indiana Board of Directors, advancing opportunities for the disabled, while encouraging them to advocate for their specific needs. He also serves on the Arc of Indiana Speaker’s Bureau and surveys for the Arc’s “My Life My Choice” initiative, identifying individuals with disabilities in nursing homes and group homes, and gauging if they would choose to live in a less restrictive environment. Shawn is the Vice President of the Grant County Self Advocates group after concluding a term as President. He has been to Washington D.C. 12 times advocating for disabled individuals of Indiana. He’ll travel to San Diego in the fall for a national conference.
Shawn is the co-owner of a DJ business, providing services locally and even nationally. He has also been working in the production department for Carey Services since 2000.
Shawn believes Marion & Grant County is a nice place to live. He enjoys attending the free concerts, the Grant County 4H Fair, going to movies, and walking in the park. He believes Marion is moving in a positive direction in consideration to the needs of disabled people, thanking the City for the new sidewalks being implemented for wheelchair access, and the businesses who are hiring more and more disabled individuals.
“All people with disabilities are like everybody else. We want to work and live a good life just like everybody else. We probably work even harder.”