We have been super busy these days traveling around the state to do Conversations That Matter. We were in Fitzgerald earlier this month, and last week, we made it to Savannah. A big thank you to all who came out to talk about advocacy and especially to our hosts Jill Alexander in Fitzgerald and Jennifer McGee in Savannah. It was great to see old friends and make new ones.
One thing I know for sure is that there is so much energy around improving services and the lives of people with disabilities. This is the fifth year we have been traveling around Georgia, and I hear both the frustration and the possibilities around how we build community and resources for people. In Savannah,I met an aging mom and her 57 year old son who needed help connecting her son to friendships and meaningful activity, and in Fitzgerald I listened as a proud community described the transportation initiatives that they are working on that would benefit everyone in their town.
In a year when it appears that there will be no new services for people with disabilities for a while due to our rough economy, advocacy becomes more important than ever. At our meetings, we talked about the importance of telling your story to our state leaders so that they can put a face to the need and by doing so you can not only possibly help your family but others as well.
We are planning to convene another round of these smaller advocacy training gatherings for this fall. If you would like us to come to your town and you can host a meeting, send me a message.
All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) is Atlanta's preeminent resource on developmental disabilities, providing support services to families for more than 55 years. We are often the one place where people with developmental disabilities can go to achieve personal empowerment, family stability and community participation. AADD provides family support; public policy and advocacy; and community engagement.
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