Call To Action: Attend Public Meeting on Olmstead in GA, Tues, Feb 27

GCDD Email Call to Action 1702

US Commission on Civil Rights Holds Public Meeting to
Discuss Status of Olmstead Decision in Georgia
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 • 9:30 am to 5 pm
Shepherd Center • 2020 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30309

The Georgia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will convene a public meeting to discuss the status of the Olmstead (Disability) Decision in Georgia. This meeting is intended to examine current challenges of the Olmstead ruling on the disability communities in Georgia.

The meeting, free and open to the public, is Tuesday, February 27, 2018 from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, at the Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Southern Regional Office (404-562-7000, TTY: 404-562-7004) prior to the meeting. The Georgia Advisory Committee urges public involvement and participation to better identify and understand barriers.

The Committee will hear testimony from community members, advocates, academics, legal professionals and government officials that have faced barriers.

  • The public will be invited to speak during an open forum session from 4:35 pm to 4:55 pm.
  • The Committee will also accept written testimony submitted to by Friday March 30, 2018.

The Committee will issue its findings/recommendations in a report to the Commission.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights enforcement. Our 51 state Advisory Committees offer a broad perspective on civil rights concerns at state and local levels. The Commission: in our 7th decade, a continuing legacy of influence in civil rights. For information about the Commission, please visit http://www.usccr.gov and follow us on Twitter and Facebook

AGENDA

9:30 am INTRODUCTIONS

9:45 - 10:55 am PANEL 1 State and Local Service Providers

  • Judy Fitzgerald, Commissioner, GA Dept of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability
  • Amy Howell, Assistant Commissioner, GA Dept of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability
  • Robyn A. Crittenden, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Human Services
  • Eric Jacobson, Executive Director, Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities

11:00 - 12:05 am PANEL 2 Legal and Legislative

  • Susan Jamieson, Olmstead Attorney., Atlanta Legal Aid
  • Talley Wells, Executive Director, Georgia Appleseed
  • Kathy Floyd, Executive Director, Georgia Council on Aging

12:10 - 1:15 pm PANEL 3 National /State Organizations

  • Stacey Ramirez, State Director, The ARC Georgia
  • Shelly Simmons, Executive Director, Statewide Independent Living Council
  • Regina Kline, Attorney, Brown Goldstein & Levy

1:15pm - 2:00 pm LUNCH BREAK

2:00 - 3:30 pm PANEL 4 Practitioners and Academics

  • Zoe Stoneman, Director University Professor, Institute on Human Development & Disability, University of Georgia
  • Becky A. Kurtz, Director, Area Agency on Aging, Atlanta Regional Commission
  • Chase Jones, Chairman, Georgia Brain & Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission
  • Brenda Liz Muñoz, Bilingual Program Associate for School and Community Supports, Senior Diversity Fellow for Latino Community of Practice; Center for Leadership in Disability, School of Public Health; Georgia State University

3:35 - 4:30 pm PANEL 5 Advocacy Organizations

  • Ruby Moore, Executive Director, Georgia Advocacy Office
  • Cheri Mitchell, People First of Georgia
  • Kim Jones, Executive Director, NAMI.Org

4:35 - 4:55 pm PUBLIC COMMENT AND COMMUNITY TESTIMONIALS

4:55 pm Adjourn