Public Policy For The People Archives - GCDD Making a Difference Magazine

2021 Virtual Advocacy Days Bring Greater Access to Event for People with Disabilities

Over 550 disability advocates registered to virtually attend the 2021 GCDD Advocacy Days – the first time the DD council has hosted the days exclusively online since the initiative’s inception. Hosted by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) in

Georgia’s 2021 Legislative Recap

In March 2020, we experienced the world come to a glaring and hard stop. Now in 2021, things are slowly opening back up, including the Georgia State Capitol. Legislative session feels, looks and is different for everyone this year. We

Gearing Up for Virtual 2021 Advocacy Days

Hello, advocates! We are so excited to be preparing for another legislative session. Slated to begin on January 11, the session will go for 40 non-consecutive days, which marks the start of a new biennial legislative session. What’s New With

Georgia’s 2021 Legislative Session: What We Can Expect

As many of you might remember, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) introduced a legislative agenda that focused on “disability in ALL policy” for the first time during Georgia’s 2020 legislative session. Our idea for this type of legislative

The Disability Vote Counts!

In this edition of Public Policy for the People, we will be focusing on the upcoming 2020 election, which sees key national and state seats up for grabs. This election will certainly be one for the history books, as much

Teal banner with a photo of the Georgia State Capitol on the right.

Official 2020 Legislative Recap.

Welcome to our official 2020 legislative recap. This session can only be described as a roller coaster, with plenty of highs and lows. For starters, no one could have predicted we would not have a recap for you all until

Photo of the White House with sky blue background. Spring 2020.

What’s Happening in Washington? Federal Disability Policy Updates

It’s been another busy few months on the federal policy front, both with ongoing fights against harmful policies but also opportunities to advance disability priorities, and we have more recently been actively involved in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Light blue banner with a photo of mother and son on the right hand side.

Parents Navigate Georgia’s K–12 Education Supports: IDEA, IEPs and Students’ Rights

Viviana Fernandez purchased a home in Snellville when her son, Cameron, was entering the first grade. Shortly after enrolling him at Britt Elementary, she received a call advising that he be moved to a separate school for kids with disabilities.

Green banner with a photo of the Georgia State Capitol on the right.

2020 Legislative Session Recap

This has been one of the most interesting legislative sessions we have seen in modern times. Between Governor Brian Kemp’s first installment of recommended budget cuts and the threat of COVID-19, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) has been

Photo of Gracie Joy, a baby, on the right side of a pink banner.

The Fight for Gracie’s Law

As far as gender reveals go, this was a simple one. No cupcakes with pink or blue centers, no boxes of helium-filled balloons. Erin and David Nobles had agreed to a genetic test, suggested because of her late-age pregnancy, but