Sheri Caveda

Sheri Caveda of Fort Wayne, Indiana

Executive Director Sheri Caveda is the driving force behind Fifth Freedom. Suddenly faced with the prospect of raising two children with disabilities after a traffic accident, Sheri 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 twelve 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.