Meet Your Buddies

Katie Meabe, 27, Iowa
Meabe is a Buddy Ambassador, having completed the rigorous training curriculum provided by Buddies United in Leadership Development. She first started her involvement in high school.

IDS Tell me about one of your buddies.
Meabe Tom Brady and I are friends. Whenever I see him in Boston, we hang out with each other. We’re going to be friends forever.

IDS How has Best Buddies helped you with challenges?
Meabe If I have a problem, they really help me out. They sit down with me one-to-one, and we talk about that problem and we find a solution.

Erin Thompson, 23, Virginia
Thompson started her chapter of about 30 active members at George Mason University in 2009. She has won several awards, including the Dan Piper Award, in recognition of her advocacy and dedication to improving the lives of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also helped pass a Virginia state law prohibiting the use of the phrase “mental retardation,” considered highly offensive for those with IDD, in print and other forms of media.

IDS Why did you want to get involved with Best Buddies?
Thompson The reason I wanted to get involved was because of one-to-one friendship and to build self-advocacy.

IDS In your speech you gave this weekend, what did you talk about?
Thompson Today I was talking about friendship and the people I met in college at Mason. And how I have two brothers with no disabilities. It was pretty hard because I didn’t know that my brothers didn’t have a disability.

IDS Why did you set out to petition against the use of the word “mental retardation?”
Thompson We heard the word “mental retardation” on the radio and it offended a lot of people with disabilities.

IDS What was the process like to put that into effect?
Thompson We fought a lot of battles to get that word taken out. We had to come up with some terms ... so we went to Richmond 200 times exactly. I can’t even count how many.

IDS Why is Best Buddies a great organization?
Thompson That is a big toughie. The reason it’s a good organization is that Best Buddies has changed my life. It inspired me a lot. (It) gets people involved.