Say hello to Michael

Meet Michael!

Michael Ely of Bloomington, Indiana is well known for his work with self-advocacy and advocacy for others. Michael recently won Stone Belt’s Elbert Johns Self-Advocacy award. He also won the Self-Advocacy Award at the Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility Annual Awards. 

Besides being an active self-advocate, Michael, a graduate of Ivy Tech Community College in Computer Information Systems, has developed and maintained various websites for agencies throughout the Bloomington community. 

Michael is a member of the steering committee for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) in Action, which is the project of a professor in the IU School of Education. At times, he is a guest speaker for the IU School of Education, sharing his school experiences with future general education and special education teachers. Michael was included in general education classrooms from preschool through high school graduation, and is able to share about the use of technology and the role it played in his education. Michael also informs future educators about the accommodations made for him in K-12 and at Ivy Tech, and shares about the importance of communicating and his specific communication device.