Making Adifference
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GCDD.ORG WINTER 2011 MAKING a DIFFERENCE REAL HOMES. REAL CAREERS. REAL LEARNING. REAL INFLUENCE. REAL SUPPORTS. WADDIE WELCOME Symbol of the Beloved Community. NEWS DOJ SETTLEMENT And Justice for All... FOR YOU: LEGISLATIVE AGENDA Issues on the Table for 2011. SECTION WINTER 2011 The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities collaborates with Georgia’s a citizens, public and private MAKING DIFFERENCE advocacy organizations and policy A quarterly magazine of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities VOLUME 11, ISSUE 3 makers to positively influence public policies that enhance the quality of life for people with Waddie Welcome: disabilities and their families. Symbol of the Beloved Community GCDD provides this through An inspirational story of one man’s journey home education and advocacy activities, and the citizens that made it happen ...................................... 8 program implementation, funding and public policy analysis and research. DOJ Settlement: And Justice for All... New settlement intends to make good on Olmstead ............. 12 Legislative Agenda Issues on the table for the 2011 legislative session ................. 18 Tom Seegmueller Chairperson [email protected] Entertainment Article A look at positive portrayals of Eric E. Jacobson Executive Director people with disabilities in popular culture ............................. 20 [email protected] Disability Day Preview Valerie Meadows Suber Editor-in-Chief & Don’t miss it! Register now! .................................................. 24 Public Information Director [email protected] 2 Peachtree Street NW FEATURES Suite 26-246 Atlanta, GA 30303-3142 DEPARTMENTS Voice 404-657-2126 Fax 404-657-2132 GCDD Viewpoint Expert Update Toll Free 1-888-275-4233 2011 promises to be an exciting DOJ settlement is discussed ... 26 TDD 404-657-2133 year with the new Governor www.gcdd.org and DOJ Settlement ................. 3 Mia’s Space Wait, who has Guest Article the special needs?. ................ 27 O’Neill Communications Governor Deal addresses disability community. ................. 4 Straight Talk Claire Barth New People First president [email protected] News Marian Jackson speaks up DSP Certificate receives about living with a disability ..... 28 Chantelle Catania national accreditation ................ 5 Design & Layout Real Community Initiative Around GCDD Housing options for Brandon D Hunt GCDD welcomes new staff ...... 6 individuals with disabilities ....... 29 Cartoonist Perspectives Resources .............................. 30 Disability community weighs in on a controversial topic. ...... 16 Calendar & Cartoon ................31 2 MAKING a DIFFERENCE GCDD VIEWPOINT T ER OM IC We hope that you like S E. J EEGM ACOBSON the new look for our U ELLE magazine and that you R will let us know what articles you would like to see by e-mailing us at [email protected]. ga.us, subject line: Letters To The Editor. New Year, New Initiatives GCDD VIEWPOINT During the last ten years, Making A Difference magazine has had numerous articles about the Olmstead Decision. As you will recall, this is the United States Supreme Court decision directed at the State of Georgia indicating that provid- How to ing services in institutions is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Many of us believed that with this decision, the State would begin closing insti- Reach Us dtutions and moving people with developmental disabilities into the community. Instead, the State seemed to fight the decision and continued to keep people Letters to the Editor Letters should include the writer’s full name, in institutions and admit individuals on a regular basis. At the same time, orga- address, phone number, and may be edited nizations such as the Georgia Advocacy Office were identifying cases of abuse, for the purpose of clarity and space. neglect and even death in the institutions. Contact Our Editor and Both of these resulted in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) taking the State of Georgia to court to create better conditions in the institutions and to require the state to move Public Information Director: Valerie Meadows Suber people into the community. After much negotiation, the two sides settled this lawsuit. The most [email protected] important aspects of the agreement are that the State will not admit anyone into a state institution P: 404.657.2122 after July 1, 2011 and will move all people with developmental disabilities out of institutions by F: 404.657.2132 July 1, 2015. In addition, the Department of Justice realized people could not be moved into the community without quality services available to provide support. This issue of Making a Difference or: 2 Peachtree Street, NW Suite 26-246 focuses on the DOJ Settlement and what it means to the disability community. Atlanta, GA 30303-3142 We also want to celebrate 2011! The New Year marks the 40th anniversary of the Developmental Audio or Disabilities Bill of Rights and Assistance Act of 1971. GCDD is proud to be one of the 55 entities Large Print Versions: created throughout the U.S. and territories as a result of this historic legislation. And be sure to For an audio version of Making a Difference, join GCDD at the 14th Annual Disability Day at the Capitol on February 24, 2011. please contact GCDD. A large font version is available for download at www.gcdd.org. Also, beginning with this issue, Governor Nathan Deal has agreed to provide a quarterly article. We congratulate the Governor on his election and look forward to working with him on issues Subscriptions / Back Issues: important to people with developmental disabilities. Visit us at our website: www.gcdd.org or call us: 404.657.2126. You can learn more about Governor Deal and the legislature by following the Georgia General Assembly through the GCDD’s new and improved website www.gcdd.org, by subscribing to It is our policy to publish readers’ comments. Moving Forward at www.gcdd.org/join-our-mailing-lists/, and following us on Facebook (Georgia Contents do not necessarily reflect the Council on Developmental Disabilities) and Twitter (twitter.com/georgiacouncil). We hope that opinions of GCDD, the editors or state government. you will find our new tools useful in helping you find out about news and events that affect you and your family members. Magazine Sponsorship: For sponsorship opportunities contact: Kim Shapland at 770.578.9765 or Eric E. Jacobson Tom Seegmueller Executive Director, GCDD Chairperson, GCDD [email protected]. WINTER 2011 | GCDD.ORG 3 GUEST ARTICLE To Georgia’s Disability Community: On election night, I stood before all of Georgia and declared in my acceptance speech, “We are going to make this state great!” As promised, my administration will aim to create o a land of opportunity and prosperity for everyone GUEST ARTICLE lucky enough to call Georgia home. Georgia has a record of strong and vision- people with disabilities already living in the ary leadership, but each new governor has community and those leaving institutions as a chance to improve in certain areas. I feel they assimilate into their local community. strongly that we can expand opportunities and Our service system should reflect and promote boost the quality of life for Georgia’s disability the values of dignity, independence, individu- community. As governor, I’ll implement the al responsibility, choice and self-direction. recent settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which is a bold call for 25 specific As governor, I can assure you that my ad- action items. These include: ministration will continue to seek new and innovative ways to better support initiatives • Increasing community crisis services to that promote independence, employment and serve individuals in a mental health crisis the health and well-being of the great people without admission to a state hospital, of our state. including crisis services centers, crisis sta- bilization programs, Our work will begin in mobile crisis and As a state, we must earnest as we start mov- crisis apartments provide a stronger, more ing more and more of • Creating at least effective community- our citizens with disabil- “As governor, I can 1,000 Medicaid based infrastructure ities out of institutions assure you that my waivers to transi- to meet the individual and into their com- administration will tion all individuals needs of people munities where we need to provide appropriate continue to seek with developmental with disabilities. support services. For me, new and innovative disabilities from the state hospitals to community settings this is a continuation of ways to better support my efforts in Congress, where I worked with • Increasing crisis, respite, family and initiatives that promote my colleagues to provide enhanced support housing support services to serve independence, services for people with disabilities through individuals with developmental improved community-based services in the employment and the disabilities in community settings Medicaid program. health and well-being Our vision for people with disabilities begins of the great people As 2011 begins and my first term as governor with Community First and builds on the idea unfolds, the disability community can rest of our state.” that individuals have access to real communi- assured that it will have an advocate in the ties, real careers, real homes and real learning governor’s office. I look forward to not only experiences. As a state, we must provide a working for you, but also with you over the stronger, more effective community-based next four years. infrastructure to meet the individual needs Nathan Deal of people with disabilities. This encompasses Governor of Georgia 4 MAKING a DIFFERENCE NEWS Direct Support Professional Certificate Program Receives NADSP Full Accreditation IN THE NEWS As of November, the Direct Support Certificate Program received full accredi- Abilities Expo 2010 tation from The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). This is the second highest level of accreditation available and means that The Atlanta Abilities Expo was certificate holders are more marketable than their non-certified counterparts.