August 23, 2019 (Atlanta, GA) – The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) has launched Telling Our Stories: Real Lives of People with Developmental Disabilities in Georgia, a story collection project that chronicles the lives of Georgians with disabilities.

Spanning Georgia's 56 state senate districts, GCDD teamed up with talented writers and photographers who set out to collect some great stories – allowing this project to become a vehicle of advocacy for Georgians living with disabilities.

The website features over 60 stories and an interactive map that shows the reach of this project. The people profiled are children, young adults, college students, athletes, employees, adults, entrepreneurs, siblings, and parents who share their stories about how issues such as waiting lists of Medicaid waivers, opportunities for employment, lack of transportation and more affect everyday life.

The stories are funny, heartwarming and challenging about people with developmental disabilities who are living, working and advocating for their rights – and disability rights in Georgia.

“Sharing your story is a huge, if not the most important, part of advocacy. These are real stories about real people with real, everyday issues around housing, education, employment and more. GCDD was intentional in sharing these stories from the state’s different senate districts so they can be shared with the public and also our legislators,” said Eric Jacobson, GCDD executive director.

More stories are being added, and GCDD will later be adding a podcast, a short movie, and more interactive tools to continue this project’s impact.

The story collection project was led by L’Arche, an international federation dedicated to the creation and growth of homes, programs and support networks with people who have intellectual disabilities. It collaborated with Resurgens Impact Consulting, photographers Lynsey Weatherspoon and Haylee Fucini-Lenkey, storytellers Shannon M Turner and Moira Bucciarelli and Beate Sass, an expert in the field of visual storytelling.

View the Story Collection website, Telling Our Stories: Real Lives of People with Developmental Disabilities in Georgia.

View the interactive map.