Para los niños con discapacidades, la escuela puede ser un momento estresante y abrumador. El Consejo de Georgia sobre Discapacidades de Desarrollo (GCDD, por sus siglas en inglés) se sentó con Leslie Lipson, abogada y directora de la Coalición de Georgia para la Equidad en la Educación, para discutir cómo los estudiantes, los padres y los profesores de la escuela primaria pueden navegar el proceso de diseñar el programa de educación individualizado (IEP, por sus siglas en inglés) para que los estudiantes con discapacidades reciban una experiencia educativa que satisfaga sus necesidades úni...

Oradora: Susan J BerchCuéntenos un poco sobre usted. ¿De qué parte de Georgia eres? ¿Cuáles son tus cosas favoritas para hacer? ¿Cuáles son algunos de tus objetivos? Susan J Berch: Mi nombre es Susan Judith Birch. Tengo una perrita preciosa llamada Gabby. He trabajado en Jewish Family and Career Services durante más de 30 años. Lo que más me gusta hacer es escuchar audiolibros, pasar tiempo con mis amigos y tomar vacaciones. Mis objetivos son administrar mejor mi dinero, ser más honesto con mi familia y usar mi tiempo de manera más eficiente. ¿Tiene un profesional de soporte directo? En ca...

“One thing that’s super important is that we’re formed by people with disabilities and we’re the only organization that’s federally mandated to be 51% or more people with disabilities at all different levels at the board, management, and staff levels,” said Dr. Kimberly Gibson, the executive director of disABILITY LINK. According to Gibson in an interview for Good Morning America, more than 27% of employed people with disabilities lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gibson felt many employers believed the benefits of retaining employees with disabilities outweighed the costs, and...

As the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) gets ready to advocate at the 2024 Legislative Session, we wanted to share the expertise of the people with developmental disabilities across Georgia on what they have and what they need to live independent lives. As we work to advocate for Medicaid waivers, higher wages for Direct Support Professionals, employment, and more inclusive education opportunities, it’s important to learn how access to these resources has supported and will support more people with developmental disabilities across Georgia. Hear from them, in their own ...

Emily Myers, Region Director at Briggs & AssociatesThe Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) interviewed Emily Myers, region director at Briggs & Associates, a supported employment company that assists people with disabilities with finding employment. We spoke about the state of work for people with disabilities, unemployment among people with disabilities, and what Briggs & Associates does to help individuals find meaningful and accommodating jobs and careers. Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities: Hello, Emily! Thank you for taking the time to speak wit...

“My daughter was born with profound disabilities. I didn't know anything about anything at that point. And I found early on that the people from that I learned things from, and I needed to learn a lot were other parents. And I so appreciated that resource. Whenever I learned something, I wanted to share it with others. I like the feeling I get from helping other families, but I also like sharing what I learn so that they can experience the same results that I got from those things,” says Addams about her experience as a parent of a child with a developmental disability. Those resources can...

On January 24, 2024, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) hosted its annual Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) Advocacy Day at the Georgia State Capitol. The event serves as an opportunity for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) to advocate to the General Assembly for state-supported funding for IPSE programs. There are nine active IPSE programs in Georgia, with an additional program opening in Rome, GA at Berry College. IPSE supports individuals with ID in obtaining a post-secondary education and serves as a means for individuals with ID to learn and de...