Atlanta, GA - February 13, 2018 -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 disabled communities in Georgia. The meeting free and open to the public, will take place on 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 10 days prior to the meeting.

The Committee will examine concerns regarding the Olmstead (Disability) Decision in Georgia. The Georgia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hear testimony from the community that have faced barriers. 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. The public will be invited to speak during an open forum session from 4:35pm to 4:55pm. The Committee will also accept written testimony submitted to by Friday March 30, 2018. The Committee will issue its findings and recommendations in a report to the Commission.

Media contact: Jeff Hinton, Southern Regional Office, (404) 562-7006

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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, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability

Amy Howell, Assistant Commissioner, Georgia Department 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

NOTE: This was posted on behalf of the Georgia Advisory Committee to the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights to promote public participation.

The original article was posted on Publicnow on February 17, 2018.