Moving Forward in Advocacy
Current Feature Stories
Public Policy for the People: Official Recap of Georgia’s 2022 Legislative Session
Georgia’s 2022 legislative session was defined by the effects of a lingering pandemic and looming...
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GCDD’s COVID-19 Initiatives & Updates
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is...
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Tips for Finding the Right Summer Camp for your Child with Developmental Disabilities
Summer is a time when children get a break from rigorous school schedules and academics. They usu...
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Topics
Farewell
By Eric E. Jacobson
April 14, 2022
Dear Readers, For the past 30 years, I have written this column introducing Making a Difference. This is my final column as I retire from GCDD on May 31, 2022. It has been difficult writing this column as I end
We Need You!
By Eric E. Jacobson and Nick Perry
January 9, 2022
Advocacy – the Webster’s dictionary defines it as, “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.” For those in the disability community, advocacy is an opportunity to support both a cause (the disability movement) and proposals (funding to
On A Personal Note
By Eric E. Jacobson
October 14, 2021
On October 16, 1992, I began working at what was then called the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. Since then, I have had the honor and privilege of meeting people with developmental disabilities and their families all over this state.
Students with Intellectual Disabilities Find Success Through Digital Expression in Art and Media Fields at Georgia State University
By Hilary Vece
April 13, 2022
Inclusive college, called inclusive post secondary education (IPSE), is not new to Georgia, and there is a positive trend of more and more universities developing IPSE. There are 311 IPSE programs at universities across the country, with eight in Georgia
Students Thrive at Kennesaw State’s Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth
By H. M. Cauley
January 10, 2022
Jordan Winfrey, 18, grew up with his mom’s assurance that college could be in his future. But the graduate of the Omega Learning Center in Douglasville found that his diagnoses of autism and speech impediment made finding the right fit
Students Soar at the EAGLE Academy at Georgia Southern
By Clay Voytek
October 8, 2021
For his first year of college last fall, Max Champion took half his classes online. This semester, he’s happy to be taking them all in person. Champion, 20, is a student at the Equal Access to Gainful Learning and Employment
Self-Advocate Gives Powerful Speech at State Capitol
By GCDD
April 14, 2022
On February 28, 2022, Michael Housel, a self- advocate from Tifton, Georgia, gave a powerful and passionate speech at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, in support of Senate Bill 208. Mr. Housel is a founding member of Uniting for
Self-Advocacy In Action – Building on Sources of Strength
By GCDD
January 9, 2022
The Uniting for Change Leadership Collective came together for a retreat in early November in North Georgia called the Power of Resilience. We worked together, about 45 of us, to build fires inside of our hearts, and our minds, and
My Journey to One of My Dreams
By Laura Owen
October 12, 2021
Uniting for Change is a grassroots network of self-advocates that is growing the self-advocacy movement in Georgia. Along with family members, allies and supporters, self-advocates work on “uniting Georgians and influencing change by speaking up and taking control of our
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
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
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 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
Understanding How Data Can Empower Us to Move Forward in Advocacy
By Kimberly Hudson
April 13, 2022
Every activity and initiative that the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) engages in starts with data. Understanding how it’s collected and used can be a powerful tool to help us move forward in advocating for people with developmental disabilities
ACL Awards Georgia-based Mentra Award for Inclusive Employment
By Jennifer Bosk
January 10, 2022
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) in Washington D.C. recently awarded its top prize of $100,000 in its “Inclusive Talent Pipeline for American Businesses” challenge to Georgia’s Mentra. Mentra is the brainchild of passionate disability advocates Jhillika Kumar and Conner
GCDD Kicks Off New Five Year Strategic Plan
By McKenzie Wren
January 9, 2022
Starting October 1, 2021, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) kicked off its new Five Year Strategic Plan that set the goals which the Council aims to complete between 2022-2026. The federal government requires all Developmental Disabilities Councils to
Advocating Beyond Legislative Session: Building Avenues for Change
By GCDD
April 13, 2022
Featuring Shelley Spivey Being an active advocate isn’t just about protesting, working on legislation, or contacting your representative. It starts small in moments and opportunities that reveal themselves to you daily. It’s about having meaningful, connected conversations with the people
How to Fully Fund the NOW/COMP Waivers Waiting List over the Next Five Years
By GCDD
January 9, 2022
Featuring Georgia Senator Sally Harrell The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities recently sat down with Senator Sally Harrell (D-40) to discuss Senate Bill 208 that proposes to fully fund the NOW/COMP Waivers waiting list which is currently over 7,000+. As
Making Competitive, Integrated Employment a Reality
By Amy Gonzalez
October 12, 2021
GCDD interviewed Amy Gonzalez, Project Manager for the Administration on Disabilities (AoD) Disability Employment Technical Assistance, to discuss the ways competitive, integrated employment is becoming a reality for people with disabilities across the country, why employers need to get on
Holding Hands and Jumping
By Shannon Turner
April 13, 2022
Columbus, Georgia (Senate District 29) It’s Friday afternoon at Chattahoochee Scuba in Columbus, Georgia. Kaylee and Micah Asante are getting suited up, not for scuba lessons, but rather for swimming instruction and therapy. Kaylee, 10, and Micah, 16, both have
Inclusion is an Act of Good Faith
By Shannon Turner
January 9, 2022
“Hello, Dalia, how are you today? How do you feel today?” Hannah sings to Dalia. She begins dropping out words from the songs and waits. “I feel happy,” Dalia types out. There’s a certain kind of joy that comes with
Telling Their Own Stories
By GCDD
October 11, 2021
Treasure Maps showcased the stories of 10 people from across the state with developmental disabilities. The stories are expressions of the storytellers themselves. They chose the stories they wanted to tell, what was most important to them as individuals, as
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
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