Mission
ABLEVOICES WAS CREATED BY JEN VOGUS, WHO IS AN EDUCATOR, A PHOTOGRAPHER, AND A PARENT-ADVOCATE OF AN ADULT CHILD WITH A DISABILITY. WHEN HER SON, AIDAN (WHOSE SPEECH IS UNINTELLIGIBLE, BUT HE HAS LOTS TO SAY), STARTED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HE HAD LIMITED WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIS TEACHERS AND PEERS. SO JEN BEGAN TAKING AND SHARING PICTURES OF AIDANS INTERESTS, THE THINGS HE ENJOYED DOING, AND THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN HIS LIFE. THIS OPENED UP AIDANS WORLD AND GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD LASTING AND MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH HIS TEACHERS AND PEERS. JEN CREATED ABLEVOICES TO HARNESS THE ACCESSIBILITY, POWER, AND IMPACT OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO HELP OTHERS WHOSE VOICES MAY NOT BE HEARD. IN ADDITION, THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO INCREASE DISABILITY AWARENESS AND PROMOTE MORE ACCEPTING AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE POWERFUL MEDIUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY. ABLEVOICES INITIALLY BEGAN AS A PROGRAM OF THE ARC WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND INCORPORATED AS ITS OWN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN 2019.