Team Member Spotlight: Tara Ahern

IL Imagines Chicago

Team Member Spotlight

Team member name: Tara Ahern
Position: Community Organizer
Agency/Program: The IL Self Advocacy Specialist 
Member since: 2014

Member Bio:

Tara Ahern is a graduate of New York University (B.A.) & DePaul University (M.S.). The cornerstone of her life’s work is to encourage & teach individuals how to speak up for themselves in order to live a full life in their communities. She works as a state-wide Community Organizer for The IL Self Advocacy Alliance & activities facilitator at Center for Independent Futures in Evanston. In her role at The Alliance, Tara has conducted issue campaigns to influence local and state systems change, nurtured relationships & mobilized self advocates, disability groups and other allies and most recently, spearheaded The Alliance Ambassador Leadership Program for adults with intellectual & developmental disabilities. She also serves a co-chair for IL Imagines.

Tara’s passion for disability rights stems from her own experiences living & loving with Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative neurological disease, and also wanting to live in a world that sees value in all people. In her spare time, Tara pursues her passion of photography, documenting weddings, portraits & events at her own company, Roots of Life Photography.

Quote: 

“Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world.” -HRC

Why I joined IL Imagines. 

After participating in an IL Imagines sexual assault prevention for women with disabilities training and learning more about how prevalent this issue is, I wanted to get more involved with the project. 

Upon joining the Chicago team, I felt relieved to find a small tribe of passionate people committed to proactively addressing this topic.

A Fun Fact:

I have visited 15 countries in Canada, Europe, Central America, Africa & the Middle East.