There are many aspects to consider when it comes to being a champion for the disability community, whether it is providing care and support, offering a social network, or strengthening the voices of people with disabilities.  Elite Squad Inc., founded in June 2023 by Dorinda Peterson and Amy Hines, is an advocacy and social connection group in metro Atlanta dedicated to changing societal perspectives on how people interact and engage with people with disabilities. The group accomplishes its mission by hosting and leading various social events for people of all backgrounds to meet, lea...

Evan Nodvin is 43, he lives in an apartment in Atlanta, works at Canterbury Court retirement community in Buckhead, and loves to watch University of Georgia sports. “Go Dawgs!” Nodvin, who has Down syndrome, was born and raised in Atlanta, graduating in 2000 from Chamblee High School. “When I graduated in 2000, I started working at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. I worked there for 20 years. I worked in the gym and at the front desk.” He was furloughed from the Marcus Center during COVID. In his current job at Canterbury Court, Nodvin works in the kitchens and dining rooms....

The State of Georgia kicked off its legislative session in January, and the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) was front and center to advocate for the disability community across the state. During the session, GCDD hosted its annual Advocacy Days at the Georgia State Capitol. Advocacy Days is an opportunity for GCDD, self-advocates, and the developmental disabilities (DD) community across Georgia to meet, educate, and inform legislators about issues that are important to Georgia’s disability community. This year, there were three days of advocacy at the Capitol...

Charlotte Densmore, GCDD Public Policy DirectorAs the month of October ushers in National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), organizations across the nation come together to recognize the critical contributions of workers with disabilities, promote inclusive employment practices, and raise awareness about the work that remains to be done to ensure equitable opportunities for all. The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) has long been at the forefront of advocacy for developmental disabilities (DD). One of the most significant efforts spearheaded by GCDD is the pu...

What to Expect Under the Gold Dome Georgia’s 2023 legislative session is set to be one of historic change as many of the top leadership positions at the Georgia State Capitol will now have new representation for the first time in many years. Governor Brian Kemp won his reelection, but we will have a new Lieutenant Governor, a new Speaker of the House, a new Senate President Pro Tempore, and many others. The upcoming session will also be the first year of the biennial, which means that we will have a group of newly elected legislators who may not have served in the past. These changes will ...

November 5, 2024, voters across the country will have an opportunity to exercise their rights and make their voices heard by voting. The 2024 election is about more than choosing leaders. It’s about shaping the future state of the United States of America, including rights for every American. Whether it be accessibility, equity, and inclusion or healthcare, education, or public services for all Americans, each vote can determine the policies that will directly impact the lives of those in this nation.  In recent years, Georgia has emerged as a critical key swing state, with tight race...

The impact greatly affected students with disabilities and their families. With the shift from in-person learning to remote learning, many students faced challenges accessing the accommodations and support they needed to succeed in their studies. Additionally, the closure of schools and universities had led to a lack of social interaction and community for students with disabilities, which had negative effects on their mental health.  The pandemic has highlighted the need for more inclusive and accessible education, as well as the importance of providing resources and support for stud...

When Georgia legislator Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, heard from a constituent that there were residents making as little as 22 cents an hour, she had to do a double take. “It seems like that is something out of the 1800s when we didn't have child labor laws and they had children working for six cents an hour. It’s just antiquated,” she said. Cooper gathered her team to research the issue and discovered that low wages for people with disabilities isn’t just a common practice, it’s part of federal law. As a provision of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, he issued an executive order...

Heumann’s advocacy spirit was ignited by her parents, who fought for her access to quality education. That spirit became her advocacy voice as she gained awareness of the greater disabled experience alongside other young adults with disabilities while spending summers at Camp Jened. The 2020 Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp features Camp Jened campers, Heumann and other campers who she would work alongside as disability rights activists throughout her life.  Heumann spoke out against discrimination and exclusion when she was once again deemed a fire hazard when she appl...

Families of adults with developmental disabilities (DD) often find themselves as primary caregivers because they do not want the relative to be institutionalized and alternative options are not always readily available. Individuals with DD who have been referred to a nursing home or other institutional level of care, may be eligible for home and community-based services (HCBS) through Georgia’s Medicaid program that would allow them to live at home. According to literature provided by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), “Home and Community Services A Guide to Medicaid Waiver ...

With approximately 25% of the representatives being new legislators during this session, a significant portion of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) public policy work focused on making new relationships and educating new legislators on the need for policy change that promotes opportunities for Georgians with developmental disabilities to live, learn, work, play, and worship in their communities. As seen in previous legislative sessions, GCDD’s Advocacy Days was an integral program allowing individuals from the ID/DD community throughout Georgia to use their voices t...

Hello! My name is Charlotte Densmore. I joined the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) as the Public Policy Director in August 2023. My involvement in disability advocacy originated from my work as a mentor with the EXCEL (Expanding Career, Education, and Leadership Opportunities) program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. It almost seems serendipitous that I can now combine my personal and academic experiences in my work at GCDD. The upcoming legislative session provides a unique opportunity to advance inclusivity, empower communities, and foster independence for in...

June 22, 1999, marks a pivotal moment in the history of disability rights in the United States—the Supreme Court's landmark Olmstead Decision was made into law. Two Georgian self-advocates Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, who lived with developmental and psychiatric disabilities, argued that it was discrimination to unjustifiably isolate people in institutions when they could live in the community.  This ruling has significantly influenced the lives of individuals with disabilities, aiming to ensure their right to live in community settings rather than being unnecessarily institutionali...

Georgia Options Executive Director, Pamela Walley, and daughter, Callie, pose for a selfie“The world will be missing out if we don’t do what is necessary. And we clearly have shown that what is necessary are these Direct Support Professionals,” remarked Pam Walley, executive director of Georgia Options. “We're going to miss out on the contributions of a lot of really talented, wonderful, giving, creative, amazing people,” she added. Walley’s work at Georgia Options helps support people with disabilities in their homes and in the community. But, just like other disability support organizat...

For most kids, summer is one of the most wonderful times of the year. And one thing that makes it pretty awesome is summer camp. There was a time when children and young adults with developmental disabilities (DD) didn’t have access to the same summertime activities as many others. However, more programs are emerging to give everyone enjoyable experiences while adding the life skills of self-confidence, leadership, and character building. In the U.S., summer camps are a $3.5 billion industry, with about 26 million school-aged kids (about a third of the population) attending for at least a ...

Synergies Work, a business incubator for people with disabilities, is expanding its offerings to help even more new entrepreneurs start their businesses. Synergies Work was founded by Aarti Sahgal, a parent of a young adult with Down Syndrome. “The last few months have been transformational,” said Sahgal. First known for its i2i (Idea to Incubation) Program, Synergies Work’s mission is to inspire people with disabilities to discover their talents and turn them into sustainable businesses. Synergies Work believes in raising the bar for individuals with disabilities by challenging the soft ...

“Believe me,” said Javier Cremer, a second-year student at Georgia Tech University’s Excel program, “if I hadn’t become an advocate with a disability, I couldn’t find my true self right now.” Cremer is amongst the few that are a part of the upcoming generation of disability advocates, following on the backs of giants like Justin Dart, Judy Heumann, and Georgia’s own Lois Curtis. Among many other advocates, Dart and Heumann led the fight for landmark legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It has been over 30 years since the passage of the ADA, which became an all-...