Speakers

October 1st, 2010

Speakers:

Donna and Ricardo Thornton
Ricardo and Donna Thornton are active and strong self-advocates in the Nation’s Capital, the District of Columbia. They married over 26 years ago and have a son, Ricky, Jr., who is 23 years old. A movie of their life was made, entitled “Profoundly Normal,” and they have had multiple interviews with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes about their life as one of Washington DC’s first couples with developmental disabilities to be married. Both Ricardo and Donna are former residents of DC’s institution for people with developmental disabilities, Forest Haven.

Both Ricardo and Donna are active members of the self-advocacy group, Project ACTION!, a coalition of adults with disabilities. Ricardo and Donna have both received many awards and were recognized as "Washingtonians of the Year" in 1997.

Ricardo has worked for over 30 years at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and Donna has worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. They both are active in their faith-community (Ricardo) is a Deacon and in a theatre group where they perform in annual productions.

Ricardo is active in Special Olympics, on a variety of boards and committees, and he is a mentor and strong advocate for his peers. Donna serves on the Board of the ARC of DC. Ricardo travelled to Morroco for a leadership conference this summer to share his thoughts on the progress and future of Special Olympics.

Mr. and Mrs. Thornton are highly sought-after speakers at advocacy and parenting conferences locally and nation-wide.