About Fifth Freedom
The Fifth Freedom Network is a grassroots, cross-disability, consumer organization dedicated to removing the physical and social barriers that often hold people with disabilities hostage to poverty, isolation and underachievement. Our coalition members come together to learn about government processes, disability rights, and state and national legislative change initiatives.
Increasing voter participation among people with disabilities and working with other groups to remove institutional barriers to disability employment, or working to improve home and community based services are typical of the issues we target for change. We bring about change through non-partisan political action, community events and projects, and public issues forums.
The primary goal of this Web Site is to support people with disabilities in their efforts to change, for the better, the systems that limit their full community participation. We invite your comments and suggestions. Other advocacy organizations and groups are invited to share information for the Community Calendar, for the News Alert page, or request they may link to the website.
About Our Name, Fifth Freedom
On the eve of World War II President Roosevelt outlined the four American freedoms we would be fighting for: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. The name Fifth Freedom reflects the desire by people with disabilities to also be free, free to pursue the average activities of community life.
The Fifth Freedom is ultimately: Freedom from Exclusion.
About The Founder
Executive Director Sheri Caveda is the driving force behind Fifth Freedom. Suddenly faced with the prospect of raising three children with disabilities after a traffic accident, Caveda quickly became aware of the formidable social and economic barriers that would prevent her children from having the same opportunities in life. In response, she channeled her energies into organizing the first group in northeast Indiana eight years ago. What sets her effort apart is its grassroots orientation. The idea with Fifth Freedom is to find strong leaders, in each community, give them the resources to organize others, and with a hub-and-spoke network, unite all of these local groups statewide to address barriers common to the widest block of people with disabilities.
