GCDD - GEORGIA COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

GCDD 2018 Annual Report

Message from the Executive Director

Message from the Executive Director: The mission of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is to bring about social and policy changes that promote opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and their families to live, learn, work, play and worship in Georgia communities. For more information on how GCDD is implementing these real changes in communities across Georgia, click on the interactive impact project map below. For a message from GCDD Executive Director Eric Jacobson, click on the video on the right.

5 Real Communities Partnerships

Real Communities Partnerships equip local communities to work together to improve their community using person-centered supports, community-centered connections and reflective learning, involving people with and without developmental disabilities.

Read more about our Real Communities Partnerships below:

• Al-Tamyoz Community Building Group, DeKalb County
• Centenary UMC, Macon
• ConnectAbility Meet Your Neighbor, Dahlonega 
• Forsyth Farmers' Market, Savannah 
• Peacebuilder Comp at Koinonia Farms
  (Participants come from all over GA)

5 Advocacy Days at the Capitol 2018

During the 2018 legislative session, advocates with developmental disabilities came from across Georgia to meet and speak with their local lawmakers about issues that impact them. The five days covered DD Waivers, Medicaid, Employment, Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) and UNLOCK! Coalition. Read more about Advocacy Days.

#ILoveMedicaid Campaign

GCDD launched the #ILoveMedicaid campaign in February 2018 during Advocacy Days. The campaign educated lawmakers about Medicaid supports and how they help people with disabilities to attend school, go to work, receive assistive technology, live in the home of their own choosing and more. Advocates were asked to share #ILoveMedicaid on social media to promote awareness. Read more about the Campaign.

DD Action Month Celebrated

To celebrate DD Awareness Month in March 2018, GCDD launched DD Action Month to create awareness about developmental disabilities, teach the importance of inclusion, share stories of individuals with disabilities. Advocacy action items were posted to elevate the voice of the disability community. Read more about DD Action Month.

Employment First Becomes Law

GCDD attended the signing of the Employment First Act on May 9, 2018 which officially made Georgia an Employment First state and created a 14-member Employment First Council. The Georgia Employment First Act (House Bill 831) is bi-partisan, common-sense legislation that establishes employment as the first and preferred option for all people who want to work, regardless of their disability. Read more about the signing of the Employment First Act.

MAD Gets a Makeover

You asked, we answered! In response to our communications survey last year, GCDD added more public policy information, local and statewide feature stories, What’s Happening in Washington? Federal policy section and more sections highlighting advocacy and community events across Georgia. Read the latest issue here.

Click here to download a pdf
of the GCDD 2018 Annual Report