Rally at State Capitol Heightens Awareness of Georgians With Disabilities
Rally at State Capitol Heightens Awareness of Georgians With Disabilities
Keynote Speaker: Ambassador Luis Gallegos,
International Advocate and UN Official from Ecuador
WHO: Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD)
(Tom Seegmueller, Chair, and Eric Jacobson, Executive Director)
• Keynote by His Excellency Luis Benigno Gallegos Chiriboga (Ecuador’s Ambassador to the United States and internationally renowned, award-winning disability rights advocate)
• Lt. Governor Casey Cagle (invited)
• State legislators and elected officials
• Nearly 2,000 Georgians rallying for people with disabilities, including groups such as 3rd and 4th graders from Campbell Elementary in Fairburn
• Members of the National Disability Vote Project to register voters
WHAT: 10th Annual Disability Day at the Capitol
The largest one day gathering held annually at the State Capitol during the official legislative session. Since the event’s inception, it has become a tent tradition, attracting a broad cross section of Georgians of all ages with and without disabilities. “My Vote is for Real!” focuses on the importance of voting for this constituency and the ongoing necessity that GCDD’s goals remain at the forefront of Georgia’s social conscience.
WHEN: Thursday, February 21, 2008
9:30 a.m. – Breakfast at the Georgia Freight Depot (photo op with advocates and school children)
11:00 a.m. – “My Vote is for Real!” Rally at the Capitol steps (photo op: Keynote: Ambassador Gallegos, legislators, supporters)
12:30 p.m. – Lunch at the Depot (photo op with legislators and families)
WHERE: State Capitol steps, Washington Street side Georgia Freight Depot, Central Avenue & Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
WHY: Developmental disability affects 1 in every 5 Georgians. The annual rally is held to promote meaningful community living for Georgians with disabilities and their families.
Among others, legislators are now considering issues such as Unlock the Waiting List, a proposal to offer more services more quickly for 6,000 who wait for support to allow them to live and thrive in the community rather than in institutions. Visit www.GCDD.org for more information.
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