Accessible Audio for Making A Difference
Accessible audio for the magazine from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities
Episodes
161 episodes
The Next Generation of Advocacy
One of the most effective ways to transcend ideas of equity and justice is through the teachings of those who came before us. A movement is only as strong as the lived experience of its advocates and allies. In disability rights, history has la...
Meeting GOALS of Students with Intellectual Disabilities
As an inclusive post-secondary education program, or IPSE, GOALS guides students with intellectual disabilities and the opportunity to attend college. College for someone with intellectual (ID) in the GOALS Program gives them the sa...
Uniting for Change – How and Why We Advocate
Marian Jackson, from Fitzgerald, GA, is a state advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has been for over 20 years. She is also a mother of an adult child with disabilities. Jackson, along with five People Fi...
Practical Examples of Supported Decision-Making
Supported decision-making (SDM) is a tool that allows people with disabilities to retain their decision-making capacity by choosing supporters to help them make choices. A person using SDM selects trusted advisors, such as friends, family membe...
Judy Heumann’s Legacy Lives On
On March 4, 2023, the disability rights movement lost one of its pioneers when Judy Heumann suddenly passed away at 75. Her international fight for rights for people with disabilities spanned her entire life and began at the age of five when...
Public Policy for the People: A Recap of Georgia’s 2023 Legislative Session
Following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and a strenuous election year, Georgia's 2023 legislative session was full of profound strides forward as well as unforeseen setbacks for the intellectual disability and developmental disability (ID/DD...
Viewpoint - The Olmstead Decision Celebrates 25th Anniversary
What were you doing in 1999? I graduated from high school. Interestingly, Georgia self-advocates Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson were making history. D'Arcy Robb, executive director of GCDD, reflects on the the landmark Supreme Court ...
Community Champions: Elite Squad Works to Change Perspectives on People with Disabilities
Elite Squad Inc., founded in June 2023 by Dorinda Peterson and Amy Hines, is an advocacy and social connection group in metro Atlanta dedicated to changing societal perspectives on how people interact and engage with people with disabilities. T...
Expert Update: Advancing Employment to End Subminimum Wages
Tracy Rackensperger is faculty member of the University of Georgia (UGA) Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD). She serves as the resource and outreach manager for the Advancing Employment program, a technical assistance center f...
G is for Georgia: Closing the Gap: How One Organization is Empowering Georgians with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities with Inclusive Technology
Mark Friedman, Ph. D., and Ruther-Marie Beckwith, Ph. D., of Blue Fire Inc., a grantee of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), have recently done extensive research through the Georgia Technology White Paper with two object...
Include College Corner: Georgia State University’s IDEAL Rewrites the Narrative of The College Experience
Established in 2016 at the Center for Leadership in Disability within Georgia State University’s (GSU) School of Public Health, the Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy (IDEAL) program was founded to provide students with intellectual disa...
Self Advocacy Spotlight: Advocacy in Georgia Heats Up in the Summer!
Uniting for Change self-advocates in Georgia are engaged in advocating for voting rights and participating in the 2024 Caravan for Disability Justice and Freedom, traveling across the country to raise awareness. They'll also lead Zoom workshops...
In Your Community: Caroline O'Brien – Main Character Energy
Caroline O'Brien, a self-advocate and tech mentor from Savannah, Georgia, faces the challenge of services drop-off as she prepares to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, embarking on a journey towards a career in acting...
Public Policy for the People: Election Season Officially Underway!
This article goes over who is on the ballot, how to be prepared to vote, and how we can ensure candidates are listening to the disability community in Georgia. It starts with the highest office and works its way down. The article will not break...
Viewpoint
As I sit down to write this, I’m feeling raw. We just wrapped up Georgia’s General Assembly session, and it was a real mix of wins and losses.Win – the developmental disability (DD) rate study. All summer, fall, and winter long, we at th...
Summer Fun! Camps Rise to the Occasion with Inclusive Summer Programs
For most kids, summer is one of the most wonderful times of the year. And one thing that makes it pretty awesome is summer camp. There was a time when children and young adults with developmental disabilities (DD) didn’t have acces...
Self-Advocates Speak at the Capitol During GCDD’s Legislative Advocacy Days
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) hosted its annual Advocacy Days at the Capitol during the 2024 legislative session, which began in January. Using the power of self-advocates from Uniting for Change, GCDD was able to edu...
Advocacy Day at the State Capitol Brings IPSE Students to the Spotlight
On January 24, 2024, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) hosted its annual Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) Advocacy Day at the Georgia State Capitol. The event serves as an opportunity for students with intellectu...
GCDD Helps Those with Disabilities Realize the Importance of Self-Advocacy
The State of Georgia kicked off its legislative session in January, and the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) was front and center to advocate for the disability community across the state. During the session, GCDD hosted its...
GCDD’s Equitable Dinners “A Seat at the Table” Event Provides a Transformative Conversation Around Equity, Disability and Support During the 2024 Legislative Session
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) Equitable Dinner event, “A Seat at the Table: A Transformative Conversation Around Equity, Disability and Support” attracted capacity crowds for in-person and virtual sessions this past F...
Expert Update - The Importance of Self-Advocacy During the IEP Process
For children with disabilities, school can be a stressful and overwhelming time. The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) sat down with Leslie Lipson, an attorney and director of the Georgia...
Nothing About Us Without Us: A Recap of Georgia’s 2024 Legislative Session
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities’ (GCDD) public policy team has made tireless efforts to foster new relationships and educate legislators on the need for policy change that promotes opportunities for Georgians with developmenta...