Audrey Coccia, fondly known as Dee is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Vision for Equality, Inc. She has been an activist in the Disability Movement for over 45 years. She is well respected and regarded as a major force in upholding the rights of people with disabilities. She was a Governor appointed member of the Developmental Disabilities Council, and a member of the Pennsylvania Planning Advisory Council and a past Board member of the Board of the Pennsylvania Protection & Advocacy Agency/Disabilities Rights Network. She has served as Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Community Advocacy Coalition, a statewide advocacy network. She presently serves on the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs Information Sharing and Advisory Committee (ISAC) and Co-Chairs the Provider Oversight Sub-Committee.
Mrs. Coccia over the years has served in numerous capacities on many additional State and County Boards and committees representing the issues of people with disabilities. She is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for her advocacy efforts and has appeared publicly on National and Local TV and radio shows discussing disability rights. She is highly regarded as a force that helped to transform services in both education and adult services to people with intellectual disabilities and Autism. Mrs. Coccia continues to fight daily for social change, while steadfastly bringing the “view” of people with disabilities and their families to the forefront.
Dee is married to Vincent Coccia, the mother of two daughters, Denise and Gina and grandmother to three grandsons Ed, Sean and Patrick. Her daughter Gina is at the heart of her work and has been the catalyst in her life that brought her to the field of disabilities and motivates her each day to continue the work that she does.