GCDD’s Jacobson Honored with NAACP Award - Real Communities Recognized for Outreach
The Atlanta Jewish Times, Click here to read online.
The following is an article from the Atlanta Jewish Times, which features comments from GCDD Executive Director, Eric Jacobson, accepting an award from the NAACP for GCDD's work on its signature concept, the Real Communities Initiative.
GCDD’s Jacobson Honored with NAACP Award - Real Communities Recognized for Outreach
The Atlanta Jewish Times
Last month, Eric E. Jacobson, Executive Director for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, was honored by the Atlanta Chapter of the NAACP for the work of GCDD and its signature concept, the Real Communities Initiative.
Jacobson was presented his award at the 14th annual Atlanta Branch NAACP Jondelle Johnson Freedom Fund Dinner on Nov. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Former Atlanta Mayor William "Bill" Campbell brought greetings to the approximately 300 attendees, and Rev. Lee C. Franklin, Religious Affairs Liaison of the Chairman's Office National NAACP, presented the award to Jacobson.
"I accept this award on behalf of the people in Atlanta, Georgia and communities throughout this country who are isolated, segregated and are not recognized for the value, gifts and talents they bring," Jacobson said. "These are often people labeled as having a developmental disability. "[But] Real Communities creates a bridge, a place where everybody can dance," he continued.
"Together, we can build places all over this city and state where the barriers come down and people want to stay and raise their children."
GCDD, a federally-funded independent state agency, works to bring about social and policy changes that promote opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and their families to live, learn, work, play and worship in Georgia communities.
The Council's Real Communities, launched in 2009, supports programs across Georgia that help people become better prepared to address a variety of different issues that affect not only people with disabilities, but involve everyone in a community.Programs range from transportation to housing to community building efforts that bring people together in new ways.
