Engaging in Advocacy

Current Feature Stories

Georgia’s 2023 Legislative Session: A Season of Change

What to Expect Under the Gold Dome Georgia’s 2023 legislative session is set to be one of histori...     Read More

Synergies Work Expands Opportunities to Encourage Representation in Entrepreneurship

Synergies Work, a business incubator for people with disabilities, is expanding its offerings to...     Read More

GCDD Council Member Evan Nodvin Lives Life on His Own Terms

Evan Nodvin is 43, he lives in an apartment in Atlanta, works at Canterbury Court retirement comm...     Read More

Topics

2023—GCDD’s Work Continues!

By D'Arcy Robb
January 10, 2023
One of our time-honored beliefs at the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is “no numbers without stories, no stories without numbers.” It’s not enough for us to present data, nor is it enough to tell great compelling stories. To

Opportunities For You!

By Nick Perry
October 12, 2022
Opportunity: The Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place” or “a chance for advancement.” When it comes to the disability community, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) and our partners are working hard
Nick Perry Headshot

Update

By Nick Perry
July 13, 2022
Dear Readers, GCDD anticipates announcing its new executive director soon. While we are in transition of new leadership, the staff is working hard, diligently, and succeeding in making sure GCDD’s mission is fulfilled by continuing to advance the lives of

Albany Technical College’s Leveraging Education for Advancement Program Provides Opportunities for Students of All Abilities

By Hilary Vece
January 10, 2023
Albany Technical College (ATC) provides unique opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to continue their education after high school through inclusive post secondary education (IPSE). IPSE programs like ATC’s Leveraging Education for Advancement Program (LEAP)  are gaining

Georgia College Opens THRIVE Inclusive Post Secondary Education in Milledgeville

By Hilary Vece
October 12, 2022
Georgia College and State University is preparing to open the newest inclusive post secondary education (IPSE) this spring. Known as IPSE, inclusive college, like Georgia College’s THRIVE, is gaining in popularity throughout the state–and the country. There are now 309
Woman smiling at college graduation with professor

“Life is a journey, be prepared for the trip”: Destination Dawgs Brings Inclusive College Opportunities to University of Georgia

By Hilary Vece
July 13, 2022
Six years ago, inclusive college was in the news thanks to a viral video of Jordan Huffman’s acceptance into the first University of Georgia (UGA) Destination Dawgs cohort in 2016. The video depicts Huffman in his room playing drums when

Advocates Prepare for the 2023 Legislative Session

By Charlie Miller
January 10, 2023
Hello Advocates, The Georgia General Assembly is preparing for another legislative session coming up in January. The Georgia Legislative session will start the second Tuesday of January and go until early or mid-April. During Georgia’s Legislative session, the state House

Lele Griner Shares Her Passion with the World through Instagram and a Lot of Sugar

By Hilary Vece
October 12, 2022
Disability advocate Lele Griner loves to bake. She worked in bakeries during high school, interned at a bakery in college, and started working at a bakery after graduating from Destination Dawgs at University of Georgia. Griner is also a proud
John McCarty in Classroom

The Value of Being Valued in Inclusive Post Secondary Education

By GCDD
July 13, 2022
By John McCarty, Self-Advocate in the Leadership Collective of Uniting for Change Many people believe that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can’t learn and don’t belong in post secondary educational settings. As part of Uniting for Change and
Fall 2021

What’s Happening in Washington?

By Serena Lowe
October 13, 2021
As we round out the end of the fiscal year, action in the nation’s capital is both frenetic and action-packed. Congress is super-focused on passing a historic multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation bill that includes major investments in COVID recovery, infrastructure development, and
Summer 2021

What’s Happening in Washington?

By Serena Lowe
July 12, 2021
Federal Disability Policy Updates If 2020 felt like a long crawl across the Sahara Desert, 2021 feels a lot more like being in a race at the Indy 500 here in Washington! Check out the whirlwind of activity occurring both

What’s Happening in Washington?

By Erin Shea
April 13, 2021
It’s been a busy 2021 so far, which has brought some important wins for the disability community. Below we provide a few key updates and what we expect to see in the coming months. COVID-19 Response American Rescue Plan Act:

Public Policy for the People: Official Recap of Georgia’s 2022 Legislative Session

By Isabel Knofczynski
April 13, 2022
Georgia’s 2022 legislative session was defined by the effects of a lingering pandemic and looming elections. Most of our advocacy efforts and each of our three Advocacy Days were virtual. Although “the ropes” at the Capitol were not open to

Advocating during the 2022 Georgia Legislative Session

By Alyssa Miller, PsyD
January 9, 2022
Welcome back to another exciting issue of Public Policy for the People! Here at the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), we are getting ready for our busiest time of year, Georgia’s legislative session. The legislative session may only be

2022 Virtual Advocacy Days are Here!

By Alyssa Miller, PsyD and Charlie Miller
January 9, 2022
Join advocates from across the state to learn about policies impacting people with disabilities and advocate for needed funding and legislation this year. The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) needs your help to educate Georgia’s lawmakers about topics important
Welcoming Community Movement

The Blossoming of Real Communities

By Jennifer Bosk
October 12, 2021
When a Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) initiative ends, the celebration continues. The work has planted a seed, sown results, and now all can watch the fruits and impact of the initiative multiply as time goes on. So it

Welcoming Community Movement Adds Think Tank Partner to Coaching Group

By Jennifer Bosk
July 12, 2021
TeMaya Eatmon has been chosen as the Think Tank Partner for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) initiative the Welcoming Community Movement (WCM), overseen by Global Ubuntu. Eatmon joins other leaders who are coaching those participating in the WCM
Welcoming Community Movement

Welcoming Community Movement Gaining Momentum across Georgia

By Jennifer Bosk
April 12, 2021
A new focus has changed the 10-year-old Real Communities Initiative, funded by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), into a totally new movement. The program, now the Welcoming Community Movement (WCM), has shifted its goal to creating welcoming communities

Developing the Next Generation of Advocate Leaders with Project SETA

By Hilary Vece
January 10, 2023
Project SETA (Students Enhancing Their Advocacy) is preparing the next generation of leaders with developmental disabilities through the New Leaders grant from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). Project SETA is a leadership development program for current inclusive post

Moving Awareness to Action in National Disability Employment Awareness Month

By Hilary Vece
October 12, 2022
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and Advancing Employment is working to ensure that Georgia’s developmental disability community isn’t forgotten in the fight for competitive, integrated employment and an end to subminimum wages— the legal practice of paying
2021 Impact Map

2021 GCDD Project Impact Map

By GCDD
July 13, 2022
GCDD’s mission is to bring about social and policy changes that promote opportunities for diverse people/persons with developmental disabilities and their families to live, learn, work, play, and worship in their communities. Learn how GCDD impacted communities across Georgia in

Georgia’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

By Hilary Vece
January 10, 2023
Mark Crenshaw is the Assistant Director of the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University and the Training Director for Georgia’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (GaLEND) program. The LEND program was originally established 50 years ago

Sustainable Business Models Create Opportunities for Businesses and Employees with Developmental Disabilities

By Hilary Vece
October 12, 2022
Featuring Jennifer White When people think of a person with a disability, often they do not think that person is able to work or employable. One woman is using her passion and talents to help people with disabilities excel in

Back-to-School Tips from a Parent Mentor

By Hilary Vece
July 13, 2022
Cheryl Grant has been working with parents of students with developmental disabilities since 2008 when she became a Parent Mentor in Decatur City Schools. Primarily connecting parents with resources in the school and the community, Cheryl also provides parent training

Cow Tipping Press Joins GCDD’s Storytelling Project

By Maria Pinkelton
January 10, 2023
What began in 2018 as an opportunity for Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to share stories with their legislators has become a robust collection of photographs, written stories, audio conversations, and films displaying the diverse array of experiences

Treasure Maps: Macon Event Wrap Up

By Maria Pinkelton
October 12, 2022
Treasure Maps: Macon, the first event in the three-part 2022 Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) Storytelling Project, kicked off on Saturday, September 17, to a wonderful crowd in Macon, Georgia. The film screening and community celebration that took place
Telling Our Stories

Telling Our Stories: How The GCDD Storytelling Project is Lifting Voices in the Developmental Disability Community

By Hilary Vece
July 13, 2022
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) Storytelling Project lifts and shares the stories of people with developmental disabilities throughout the state of Georgia. Using several mediums, The GCDD Storytelling project has produced a collection of written and photographed stories,

A Greater Sense of Independence

By Adrianne Murchison
January 9, 2022
Living Independently is an article series by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). The series will cover self-determination and self-direction. Participant self-directed services are growing in popularity as an avenue that can offer an increased autonomy for some individuals

A Desire for Independence

By Adrianne Murchison
October 13, 2021
Living Independently is an article series by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). The series will cover self-determination and self-direction. Jenny Pryor lives an active life working in a Kroger supermarket, hiking on her off days or sometimes catching