GCDD Needs YOU In Our Advocacy Network!
"Nothing about us without us!" This familiar slogan is used throughout the disability community and reminds us of the importance that we must speak up on issues that can impact our lives. The mission of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities is to bring about social and policy changes that promote opportunities for Georgians with disabilities and their families. But we cannot accomplish that mission without you – those who share our vision and are willing to advocate for it to become a reality.
Recently, GCDD went on a listening tour around various locations in Georgia so that we could hear the concerns of people with disabilities and those who love them to help us shape our legislative agenda for the upcoming legislative session. At the time this issue went to print, we had visited Thomasville, Savannah, Columbus and Gainesville, Decatur and a listening tour in Dalton is scheduled for mid-October. Not only did our listening tour help us understand what issues need to be on our radar, but it helped us to connect with more individuals who care about disability issues.
In advocacy, the more voices that speak up, the greater the chance we have to influence change. GCDD maintains an advocacy network database of individuals who sign up to receive our Advocacy & Policy Alerts and are willing to mobilize by contacting their legislators about key issues.
In addition to legislative updates and calls-to-action, our advocacy network database includes subscribers to GCDD's Community News and Alerts, as well as Making a Difference magazine. We have been working to increase the number of individuals in our advocacy network database and ensure the accuracy of our records. In recent weeks, we have been emailing individuals to take a moment to review and update their contact information and subscription preferences. You may even receive a phone call from someone at GCDD to remind you to update your database profile and offer to assist you through this process if needed.
If you have not received an email invitation to update your records, please visit www.gcdd.org. Click on "Join our Advocacy Network" and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to select the following subscription preferences: Advocacy & Policy Alerts; Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign Alerts; Community News and Alerts and Making a Difference magazine. If you are specifically interested in legislative advocacy and want to receive notifications that require action by our advocates, be sure that you select the preferences to receive "Advocacy & Policy Alerts" and "Unlock the Waiting Lists! Alerts."
But, you don't have to wait to receive an action alert from GCDD to begin your advocacy. Take the time now to make appointments with your state legislators to share your concerns and personal story.
Log on to the GCDD Advocacy Network to find out who your legislators are. For an excellent resource on how to talk with your legislator, be sure to check out an archived webinar on the GCDD public policy page at www.gcdd.org/public-policy.html. Our legislative agenda will be posted there too. And don't forget to go vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4th. Remember your voice counts and together we can make a difference!
For more advocacy resources, please visit www.unlockthewaitinglists.com.
Tags: Making a Difference