Karen Gaffney is the President of the Karen Gaffney Foundation. Her non-profit, funded entirely by her speaking engagements, workshops, and donations, is dedicated to championing the journey to full inclusion in families, schools, the workplace, and the community for people with intellectual disabilities.  Karen also works full-time at a law firm.  

Karen’s work with advocacy and public speaking has taken her to audiences all over the world where she tries to show that Down syndrome is a life meant to be lived! And she succeeds! She has many critical messages to deliver especially with respect to employment, inclusion in classrooms, and for removing the barriers that are prohibiting the participation of people with DS in Alzheimer’s drug trials and treatments. 

Karen is the first person with Down syndrome to deliver a TED talk to one of the largest TEDX venues in the world, right in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. She successfully swam the English Channel as part of a six-person relay team and became the subject of the documentary: Crossing Tahoe: A Swimmer’s Dream.