NATIONAL DISABILITY CARAVAN VISITS GEORGIA CITIES TO INFORM DISABILITY COMMUNITY ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS AND ACCESS
Written by Tianna Faulkner on .
May 24, 2024 (Atlanta, GA)- The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), the Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO), and various disability-related organizations in Georgia have joined the Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice to encourage civic engagement and raise awareness of current issues facing Georgia’s disability community, as a part of a national campaign.
The Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice kicked off its national campaign this past March and will continue through November of 2024 to travel across the country in a red, white, and blue flag-wrapped caravan, stopping in cities and communities along the way, including Georgia cities, to raise awareness about issues facing the nation’s disability community.
Along the 20,000-mile route, each stop, many of which are important to disability history, will connect with local disability-related organizations in each state, at which the Caravan will collaborate with local hosts to share a message that encourages civic engagement, raises awareness of current issues facing the disability community, and will work to organize a national approach to address these issues.
The Caravan Route to Georgia cities, including Atlanta, Athens, Bainbridge, Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Albany, and Rome, begins May 25th and ends June 24th. Each city is planning event activities that will take place during its Caravan visit. Activities include sharing information with the disability community about voter registration and access, disability history in Georgia, live music, food and games.
Click the link below to see the Caravan Route for Georgia:
https://thedisabilitycaravan.com/georgia-south-carolina/
Additionally, one issue of national focus the Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice is highlighting is the LaTonya Reeves Freedom Act, a bipartisan and bicameral civil rights legislation that addresses the injustice of people who need Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) being forced into institutions. The legislation, previously known as the Disability Integration Act, builds upon decades of disability advocacy and activism to end the institutional bias and provide seniors and people with disabilities Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) as an alternative to institutionalization. For more information on this act, please visit: https://latonyareevesfreedomact.org
For more information about the Caravan, visit https://thedisabilitycaravan.com/ or email .
About the Georgia Advocacy Office: GAO’s mission is to organize our resources and follow our values and legal mandates in ways which substantially increase the number of people who are voluntarily standing beside and for people in Georgia who have significant disabilities and mental illness. The organization envisions a Georgia where all people have value, visibility and voice; where even the most difficult and long-lasting challenges are addressed by ordinary citizens acting voluntarily on behalf of each other; and where the perception of disability is replaced by the recognition of ability.
About the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities: The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is the State's leader in advancing public policy on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities. Its mission is to bring about social and policy changes that promote opportunities for the wide spectrum of diverse people/persons with developmental disabilities and their families to live, learn, work, play, and worship in their communities. www.gcdd.org