Summer Issue 2021
Focus on Education
Current Feature Stories
Focus on Education
In this Education edition of Public Policy for the People, we will be focusing on the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE)’s plans to spend the dollars provided to the state’s educational system through the American Rescue Plan Act. These funds
Six-City Roadshow Travels around Georgia, Telling Stories about People with Disabilities
Treasure Maps: The Georgia Storytelling Roadshow 2021, hosted by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and L’Arche Atlanta, kicked off on June 18 to creatively showcase 10 Georgia storytellers’ personal viewpoints into what it’s like living with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD)
What Going Back to School Will Mean for Georgia Students with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
As the new school year approaches in August, teachers, administrators, parents and students are pondering many of the same questions about what a return to “normal” will look like. Factors around physical spaces, classmates and schedules are under scrutiny, as
GCDD Viewpoint
Eric E. Jacobson
Executive Director, GCDD
Nick Perry
GCDD Chairman
Current Topics
Students Excel at Georgia Tech
Elliott Smith has known he wanted to work with children since the seventh grade. After starting as an intern, Smith now works 35 hours a week as a teacher’s assistant at the Phase Family Learning Center in Alpharetta. “It’s a
Essay Forty-Six
I would like to share with you a message from my dear friend and use her message as a conduit for my own. We have known each other for a while but have become extremely close during COVID-19. She is
What’s Happening in Washington?
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
Going Back to School
For students with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), I don’t think we’ll be able to find many students that haven’t typically had some negative impact around their education for the past two years during the COVID-19 disruptions. For many students, especially if
Progress on GCDD’s Five Year Strategic Plan
The federal government requires all Developmental Disabilities Councils to create new strategic plans every five years. The Five Year Strategic Plan determines how each Council will allocate funding to create systems change for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and family
Welcoming Community Movement Adds Think Tank Partner to Coaching Group
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
Model of Hope
“I’m ready to tell my story! Have you seen any of my movies?” This is how Eric Naindouba, a soon-to-be 14-year-old with cerebral palsy greets us as we meet for the first time in a local McDonald’s. Eric is with
Other Formats
English Version
Spanish Version
