More Opportunities Means Success
On a bright, sunny February 20, 2,500 people from across the State gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to celebrate Disability Day. It was by far one of the largest and best events, and thank you to all who came. It is you who make it so successful.
The question is what can we learn from Disability Day at the Capitol? We know that we can bring out the numbers, and we know that we host the largest event during the legislative session. We need to gather and connect better throughout the year, especially with our state officials.
In this edition, you can read about the recently concluded legislative session and the victories that we experienced. We have some great legislative champions who stepped up to the plate once again for us. People like Senators Butch Miller and Jack Hill and Representatives Katie Dempsey and Keisha Waites. We need to take the time to thank them for their support and cultivate others.
Governor Deal spoke about the need for more jobs and for children with developmental disabilities to have opportunities to attend college. Both of these are very important issues and suggest that we must do a better job of helping kids transition from high school. This edition of Making a Difference focuses on transition, what is currently taking place and what we need to do. The GCDD will be undertaking a yearlong study to determine how we can help improve the transition process. We will need to hear from you and will offer many different ways to have input.
The governor also spoke about Employment First. He asked the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities through its Supported Employment Leadership Network to recommend an Employment First Initiative. States across the nation are recommending employment first undertakings
and we have a number of examples to draw upon.
However, just getting a policy or law in place does not mean that we have solved the problem. There are many barriers to employment for people with disabilities. We can do our part by talking to businesses in our own communities and finding out their interest in hiring people with disabilities and what keeps them from doing this now.
We have our work cut out for us and it will not be easy. Over the next year, GCDD will be working on the issues of transition and Employment First. When we speak with officials we will be asking them about how Georgia can do a better job of helping students with developmental/intellectual disabilities transition from high school to either post-secondary education or the work force.
We need your leadership to make sure that everyone running for political office in November has been asked about these issues and are prepared to be a champion next year. Then maybe we can have 3,000 people at the Capitol and every legislator will be asking to speak.
Check out our website and join our advocacy network so that you can stay informed. We hope you enjoy reading this magazine and we want to hear from you. Be sure to share your thoughts with us in writing by emailing our editor-in-chief at .
Eric Jacobson
GCDD Executive Director
