“Don’t just give us dishwasher jobs or put us in the back.”
Adults with disabilities are often left feeling unaccepted by their peers, unaccepted for things out of their control. While there are certain disabilities that you can hide, others are inescapably obvious. As a society, we gravitate towards hiding those that are different. We put them in the back. We don’t give them the spotlight. This project is about giving Steph the spotlight, about celebrating her abilities, and about raising awareness for adults with disabilities and the challenges they face. It is a reminder of the power of kindness and acceptance.
MEET STEPH + BARBIE PERRY
Steph Perry is a generous and honest advocate for herself and others who face similar challenges. She is 34 years old and has had 14 surgeries relating to her disabilities. She has autism and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome as well as mental illness and developmental disabilities. Despite her many challenges, she always has a positive outlook and most enjoys making others laugh.
Barbie Perry, mother of Steph, is an advocate for adults with disabilities and active supporter of the Peoria Arts Community. She is an artist herself and explores many mixed media and print techniques.
“This project is about people recognizing Steph. She has something of value to offer. We are promoting awareness and positivity that transcends any abilities or disabilities. ”
THE BACKSTORY
Steph and Barbie Perry took a lettering workshop at The Nest in Winter 2017. Steph left the workshop feeling inspired to apply her lettering to signs, cards, and other works of art. Fast forward a little over a year and her love for lettering her own designs didn’t fade.
Barbie and Chelsie decided over coffee that it would be fun to help Steph turn one of her original designs into a sticker that she could share with her friends, coworkers, and doctors. With an upcoming partial knee replacement, it would allow her to focus her attention on something fun and celebrate her artistic talent.
THE PROCESS
Steph created her first design with her favorite colored markers. Barbie photographed it and sent it to Chelsie to prep it as a print-ready vector file. This process consisted of Chelsie tracing the design on an iPad Pro, vectorizing and coloring it on Adobe Illustrator, and adding a special “Steph Perry” credit to the bottom. The stickers went into production like any other project and landed in Steph and Barbie’s hands soon after.
STEPH’S FIRST STICKER
Steph felt so empowered when handing out her very own stickers, making it very clear that there was more that could be done. The project quickly evolved from getting a single sticker into Steph’s hands to a way to build her confidence and creativity while raising awareness for the causes closest to her heart.
BUILDING A BRAND AROUND A PURPOSE
Building a brand for Steph’s Stickers looked just like building any other brand that Lettering Works takes on. Steph and Barbie, deserved to be taken seriously and have a memorable experience built around telling their story. The name came naturally and Chelsie sketched logo concepts. Sarah Waldo of Violet and Ivy Photography did a professional photoshoot at The Spot, capturing the reveal of the logo options, Steph’s confident selection, and the personalities of Barbie and Steph. Steph directed the brand color choices via her necklace that she custom-made for the photoshoot. Barbie, Chelsie, and Steph brainstormed messaging. Chelsie put together a social media calendar and custom graphics. Ultimately, everyone brought their passions and talents together for a bigger purpose. You can get a closer look at the design process in our blog post “The Story Behind Steph’s Stickers - Lettering Works’ Latest Passion Project.”
“Barbie and Steph have been through so much over the past thirty years that I wanted to pause and help them celebrate their strengths, their abilities, and their potential to impact those around them with their story.”
THE STICKERS
Steph has created three stickers so far. They reflect her positive attitude about life and her energy and light that she brings into others’ lives.
What YOU Can Do
Be kind to other people.
Accept others who are different from you.
Educate yourself on the challenges that adults with disabilities face.
Consider contacting your legislators to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.*
Meet Steph + Barbie Perry at Lettering Works Third Anniversary Ribbon Cutting
Testimonial from Steph’s Mom: Barbie Perry
“Chelsie Tamms, of Lettering Works, created an idea for a micro business for our daughter, Steph Perry. With her creative leadership in the form of a Passion Project, she and Steph started "Steph's Stickers." Chelsie developed and walked her through a marketing plan and business strategy. She nurtured her by including her in making choices that directly affected the outcomes of the business. Having her own business is a new, exciting project for Steph. You see, Steph is a woman in her mid-30s. She has autism, which is accompanied by mental and physical health challenges. To date, Steph has had 13 surgeries. She lives in a lovely four-bedroom home with three other women, yet her life is highly structured and managed by her group home. This environment doesn't offer many choices.
This collaborative approach was a new, wonderful world to Steph. Chelsie requests and respects her input in the creation of her micro-business! Steph now sells her own line of stickers. She creates the artwork and selects or crafts a positive message to share with the world. Her goal is to spread a message of love and acceptance. She advocates for persons with disabilities and other non-traditional lifestyles, such as LBGTQ+. Her designs are bright, upbeat, and all Steph.
Chelsie is brilliant at empowering, accepting, and setting achievable expectations. The result has been confidence-building! She guides Steph to gain trust in herself, interact more closely with our community, and take risks in previously anxiety-producing situations. Chelsie has shown Steph she can thrive as a creative person. I cannot express the positive impact on Steph's life and her pride in her microbusiness. It has changed her life.”
PRESS COVERAGE
WMBD - “Steph's Stickers spreads kindness and raises awareness about people with disabilities” - Rosario Dominguez - April 24, 2019
Meanwhile Back in Peoria - “April Update - Bonus Section: Steph’s Stickers” - Marty Wombacher - April 3, 2019
The Greg and Dan Show - April 3rd, 2019
Steph’s Stickers is a Lettering Works for a Cause Passion Project.
All photography is by Sarah Waldo of Violet and Ivy Photography.
*This project was in part developed as a response to Barbie and Steph speaking out about changes to advocacy programs for adults with disabilities in the Journal Star in January 2019.