Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities e-news, 2018 June

A Digital Newsletter from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities June 2018
A Message from the Executive Director
Justin Dart, the great disability advocate once said, "Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does." On May 22, Georgia held its election primaries and will elect all its statewide offices and most other offices on November 7. I have written many other times about the importance of voting and asking those running for office about where they stand on disability-related issues. This is another one of those times. Click here to read more from Executive Director Eric E. Jacobson.
Public Policy for the People UNLOCK! Legislative Training
This May we launched our UNLOCK! Legislative Training series, focused on equipping advocates with the tools they need to be a force in the political process. Sessions addressed meeting your legislator and providing legislative testimony. Read more about the UNLOCK! legislative training sessions.
The Disability Vote
The strength of a democracy is an engaged and informed electorate. All eligible voters should fulfill their responsibility to vote. That said, it is even more critical that People with Disabilities (PwDs) do so. Although the Disability Community is the largest minority group in the electorate, they are vastly underrepresented in elected office. Learn more about the national disability vote movement here.
Georgia Becomes an Employment First State!
On May 9th, Governor Nathan Deal signed into law HB 83, or the Georgia Employment First Act, officially making Georgia an Employment First State. The bipartisan, common-sense legislation establishes employment as the first and preferred option for all people who want to work, regardless of their disability. Click here for more about Employment First.
ABLE Accounts Provide Path to Financial Security
In 2017, Georgia STABLE, a tax-free savings program for eligible individuals with disabilities, officially launched across the State to provide a path for financial security for the disability community. The program is administered by the Georgia Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program Corporation, established through legislation that officially became law in 2016. Click here to read more about STABLE investment accounts.
Synergies Works Opens E-Shop to Sell Art
Synergies Works, a nonprofit organization that supports artists with disabilities, launched its e-commerce platform, Synergies Works Shop. The goal for the platform is to raise awareness and increase business avenues for the artists that Synergies Works supports. Click here to read more about the e-shop.
Hillary Hibben joins GCDD!
Hillary Hibben is the newest face at the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). She joins the Council as its new Media Relations Director, and will support the Council to increase its impact across the State. In her role, Hillary will lead key public information efforts at GCDD, including media outreach, collateral production and more. Click here to read more about Hillary.
Real Communities Retreat
On March 28-30, Real Communities members from LaGrange, Dahlonega, Savannah, Clarkston, Athens and the Peacebuilders Camp in Americus gathered for a retreat at the Evergreen Marriott in Stone Mountain. Retreats like this one provide Real Communities sites with opportunities to flesh out what it means to uphold the Real Communities Commitments and Responsibilities in concrete, contextualized ways. Read more about the retreat here.
June 13 - UNLOCK! Webinar - Use this link to join the webinar at noon: http://bit.ly/UnlockTheVote June 14 - Southeast Georgia Virtual Self-Advocacy Network Planning Session, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/southeast-georgia-virtual-self-advocacynetwork- planning - session - tickets - 45984543006 June 25 - 2018 Beginners Basketball Inclusion Camp, Gainesville, GA, http://bounceoutthestigma.org/special - needs- basketball - camp- ga/
Connect with us
Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) | 2 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 26-246, Atlanta, GA 30303