Making a Difference Magazine || Winter 2007

GEORGIA GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Real Homes. Real Careers. Real Learning. Real Influence. Real Supports.

WINTER 2007

www.gcdd.orgwww.gcdd.org

Features9Institute GrowsGrassroots Advocates New program supports advocatesin communities across Georgia.

14Advocacy Makes aDifferenceThe Georgia Advocacy Officeoffers training on a variety oftopics. Road to Freedom tourmakes a stop in Atlanta.

18GCDD Sets Legislative PrioritiesGCDD unveils its advocacy action plan for 2007.

22Welcome HomeCreativity key in finding funding for homes for peoplewith disabilities.

4GCDD ViewpointCommunity advocacycontinues to evolve; GCDDhopes Organizing Institutestimulates discussions.

5From the GCDD ChairMake the best of advocacyopportunities.

6News & EventsPresident signs respitebill; U.N. adopts disability

rights convention; Autismact passes; U.S. moneymay become accessible;Georgia Voices That Countseeks applicants.

7Around GCDDJacobson named one ofmost influential; Childersretires; Disability Day isFebruary 22.

16PerspectivesTwo different paths leadto homeownership.

26Straight TalkWoman leaves nursinghome after nine years.

27Expert UpdateGood credit first step inhome ownership.

28Mia’s SpaceMia on PATH toindependent living.

DepartmentsIn Each Issue3 Letter from

Governor Sonny Perdue

29 CalendarEditorial Cartoon

30 Resources

2 Making a Difference • Winter 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

pg. 9

pg. 14

www.gcdd.org 3

FROM THE GOVERNOR

Volume 7, Issue 3 Winter 2007

A quarterly magazine of theGovernor’s Council on

Developmental Disabilities

The Governor’s Council on DevelopmentalDisabilities collaborates with Georgia’scitizens, public and private advocacyorganizations and policymakers to

positively influence public policies thatenhance the quality of life for peoplewith disabilities and their families.

GCDD provides this through education and advocacy activities,

program implementation, funding andpublic policy analysis and research.

Tom SeegmuellerChairperson

[email protected]

Eric E. JacobsonExecutive Director

[email protected]

Valerie Meadows SuberEditor-in-Chief &

Public Information [email protected]

2 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 26-246Atlanta, GA 30303-3142

Voice 404-657-2126Fax 404-657-2132

Toll free 1-888-275-4233TDD 404-657-2133

www.gcdd.org

Valerie Smith BuxtonManaging Editor

O’Neill Communications, [email protected]

O’Neill Communications, Inc.Design & Layout

Brandon D HuntCartoonist

To Georgia’s Disability Community,

Over the last four years, you have seen many positive changes in how theState can support individuals with disabilities and their families. Yourproactive advocacy for yourselves, your loved ones and your family and

friends provided your elected officials the impetus to find new ways of doingbusiness through the new Developmental Disability Waiver Programs. Thisresulted in increasing financial support for a multi-year funding plan andreducing the state’s waiting lists.

After 1,600 Georgians representing the disability communityrallied on the steps of the State Capitol, the State of Georgiatook major steps towards meeting the needs of Georgians withdisabilities by:

• Awarding 1,500 Medicaid waivers substantially increasingsupports for individuals with developmental disabilities.

• Providing more choice to individuals in selecting the typeof community-based services they receive and whoprovides those services.

• Meeting the exact home and community-based servicesneeded by individuals based on an in-depthunderstanding of their individual lives and interests.

With each passing year, Georgia continues to improve thequality of life for our citizens with disabilities with a fair, equitable andtransparent funding system that focuses on meeting each person’s exact needs.Over the next four years, we will continue to make progress in creating a qualityservice system that enables active participation of people with disabilities andtheir families in making decisions.

We will continue supporting a person-centered approach that recognizes therole of natural supports and enabling individuals and families to have morecontrol over the resources that support them. Most importantly, we will continueaddressing the waiting list for home and community-based services and movingindividuals from institutions and nursing home into their community.

I will need your help and support to make this a reality. While Georgia ismoving toward this vision, it has been particularly gratifying for me to come toknow and work with the advocates and self-advocates for people withdisabilities. You work tirelessly for more choice in employment, housing, servicesand a better quality of life for all Georgians with disabilities.

By working together, we have truly made a great deal of progress and canbetter serve the disability community in the future as we build a better Georgia.

Sonny PerdueGovernor

G OV E R N O R ’ S COUNCIL ONDEVELOPMENTALDISABILITIES

For 15 years, the Governor’s Council on DevelopmentalDisabilities has supported advocacy and leadershiptraining focused on teaching people how to advocate

for themselves or a loved one. Campaigns such as Unlock the Waiting Lists!, Family Support, Children’s FreedomInitiative and Fives Too Late have relied on the leadershipof graduates from Partners in Policymaking and GeorgiaVoices that Count. These graduates have assumed many

leadership roles in the disability community.In strategy sessions around legislativeadvocacy efforts, it is not uncommon to ask which Partners in Policymaking or Georgia Voices that Count graduate lives in a legislative district or who can come to theCapitol to speak about an issue.

We have just begun a new legislativesession, and we hope to be as successful as we have been in the past in addressing the many issues that face people withdevelopmental disabilities and their families.However, we must recognize that workingalone, we will not be able to sustain the levelof support we have experienced in the past.Eventually it will be other groups’ turn to get

the few discretionary dollars available through thelegislative process. That is unless we look to our neighborsand communities to become part of this movement.

In this edition of Making a Difference, we will introduceyou to a new program supported by GCDD – the OrganizingInstitute. The question that GCDD is asking is “what isnext?” What is the next evolution in the advocacymovement – how do we make our advocacy efforts evenstronger than they have been in the past? We hope to learnfrom current and previous social justice efforts. Eightindividuals with the assistance of Project South areparticipating in the first class of the Organizing Institute.

Participants will have the knowledge and support toorganize local communities to affect and change publicpolicies, and challenge and hold systems accountable. Ourgoal is to help people organize on a local level and bringfriends, neighbors, congregants and colleagues together tohave discussions about important social issues such asdisability. Meg Wheatley, a social anthropologist, wrote,“Who we become together will always be different than who we are alone. Our range of creative expression increasesas we join with others. Relationships create new capacity.”Each of us must engage the many relationships we have so that everyone is a part of creating solutions.

We want to create dialogues throughout Georgia whereneighbor asks neighbors about what is important in ourcommunities. This should bring about an understanding thatpeople with disabilities are part of our community, need tobe welcomed into our community, have gifts and talents tooffer to our community, and may need supports to remain inour community. With your help we can create social justicethrough grassroots change, and as the Reverend Jim Lawsonwrote about the “beloved community,” we can create a“place where the barriers between people gradually comedown and where citizens make a constant effort to addresseven the most difficult problems of ordinary people.”

Finally, please join our community on February 22, 2007for the annual Disability Day at the Capitol. This year’sevent promises to be our biggest and best yet.

We want to hear from you. You can reach me at (888) 275-4233 or you can e-mail me [email protected].

GCDD VIEWPOINT


Community AdvocacyContinues to Evolve

Eric E. JacobsonExecutive Director, GCDD

“Our range of creative expressionincreases as we join with others.”

If you give me a fish, you have fed me for one dayIf you teach me to fish, you have fed me . . .

until the river is contaminated or the shoreline seized for development.But if you teach me to organize, then whatever the challenge, I can join together

with my peers. And we will fashion our own solution. – ANONYMOUS

FROM THE GCDD CHAIRPERSON

www.gcdd.org 5

Letters to the EditorLetters should include the writer’s full name, address, phone number, and may be edited for purpose ofclarity and space.

Contact Our Editor:Valerie Meadows Suber,[email protected], 404-657-2122Fax 404-657-2132

or: 2 Peachtree Street, NWSuite 26-246Atlanta, GA 30303-3142

Audio or Large Print Versions:For an audio version of Making aDifference, please contact GCDD. A large font version is available fordownload at www.gcdd.org.

Sponsorship:For sponsorship opportunities contact:Christina Rosell at 770-578-9765 [email protected]

Subscriptions/Back Issues:Visit us at our Web site: www.gcdd.org or call us: 404-657-2126

It is our policy to publish readers’comments. Contents do not necessarilyreflect the opinions of GCDD, theeditors or state government.

HOW TO REACH US

G OV E R N O R ’ S COUNCIL ONDEVELOPMENTALDISABILITIES

Tom SeegmuellerChairperson, GCDD

Regardless of age or political affiliation Ibelieve that it would be difficult, if notimpossible, to watch the recent release of the

movie Bobby, about the assassination of Robert F.Kennedy, and not wonder, what might have been?

Sadly many of us in our role as advocates mustat some point ask the same question of ourselves ifwe do not take full advantage of the opportunitiesthat we are afforded not only as individualadvocates but while serving on a variety of boards,councils and commissions.

Recently, as I looked back on my tenure as acouncil member, I reflected on the opportunitiesthat membership has afforded me to advocate notonly for my son, Tyler, but for others includingmyself, as well. Because one thing that I have learned during this period is thatwe all have the same dreams, desires and aspirations, and sooner or later we willbe faced with challenges that require the support of others.

Having realized this I had to ask myself, had I done my best? Whatopportunities did I squander? How could I have done more to make a difference

with this opportunity?Did I attend all the

committee and council meetingsthat required my presence?While attending did I focus onthe tasks at hand andcontribute appropriately? Did Iadvocate within my communitywhen presented with the

opportunity? Did I aim for the highest standards, or did I settle for something alittle easier? Did I take advantage of opportunities that would have made me abetter-prepared and informed advocate? Did I build partnerships and positiverelationships, or did I burn bridges and create unnecessary obstacles toprogress? What could I have done differently to effect a meaningful change?

As you enter into this New Year, I challenge you to ask yourself the samequestions now so that you might be better prepared to meet the challenges thatthe future holds.

I challenge you to do it now while you have the means and opportunity tomake a difference. Not years from now when you can only wonder, what mighthave been?

Make the Best of Advocacy Opportunities

“...we all have the same dreams,desires and aspirations, andsooner or later we will be facedwith challenges that require thesupport of others.”


NEWS

President George W. Bush signed TheLifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 (HR3248) into law December 21.

The new law authorizes $289million over five years for state grantsto develop Lifespan Respite Programsto help families access quality,affordable respite care. Lifespan respiteprograms are defined “as coordinatedsystems of accessible, community-basedrespite care services for familycaregivers of children and adults withspecial needs.” Specifically, the lawauthorizes funds for:

• Development of state and locallifespan respite programs

• Planned or emergency respite care services

• Training and recruitment of respitecare workers and volunteers

• Caregiver trainingFamily caregivers provide 80% of

long-term care in the U.S., a level ofcare valued at $306 billion a year, morethan what is spent on nursing homeand paid home care combined.Respite provides the much neededtemporary break from the oftenexhausting challenges imposed byconstant caregiving.

U.N. Adopts DisabilityRights ConventionThe Plenary of the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted aConvention on the Rights of Personswith Disabilities December 13.

The principles of the Conventioninclude:

• Respect for inherent dignity andindividual autonomy, including the freedom to make choices and independence

• Non-discrimination• Full and effective participation

and inclusion in society• Respect for difference and

acceptance of persons withdisabilities as part of diversity

• Equality of opportunity• Accessibility• Equality between men and women• Respect for the evolving capacities

of children with disabilitiesThe Convention also outlines

obligations of U.N. members to raiseawareness of disability rights andissues; promote independent living andemployment; ensure the right to life;improve protection during and afterdisasters; provide equality before thelaw; protect people with disabilitiesfrom exploitation and abuse; and more.

Visit www.gcdd.org for a fulltranscript of the convention.

Autism Act PassesThe U.S. House of Representativespassed S. 843, the Combating Autism ActDecember 6. This critical legislationauthorizes nearly $1 billion through2011 in federal funding for autism-related research, early detection andintervention.

S. 843 first passed in the SenateAugust 3 and contains provisions tostrengthen autism research and diag-nostics, including a renewed investmentto track the incidence and prevalence ofautism spectrum disorder; increase publicawareness of early identification;promote the use of evidence-basedinterventions for those at risk for autism;and establish state-level clearinghousesfor information on autism.

U.S. Money May BecomeMore AccessibleFederal District Court Judge JamesRobertson issued a declaratoryjudgment November 28 on amotion by the American Councilof the Blind (ACB), finding theU.S. Department of the Treasuryin violation of the VocationalRehabilitation Act for failing toprovide accessible print

currency in a format usable by blindand visually impaired Americans.

The judge directed the TreasuryDepartment to enter discussions withACB to work out a currency design thatwill enable people with visualimpairments to identify bills by touchand other accessible means.

Of the more than 180 nations thatissue paper currency, only the U.S. doesnot make its currency accessible tovisually impaired people.

The Treasury Department appealedthe decision December 12, saying theruling would be too expensive toimplement and could negatively affectthe vending machine industry.

GVTC AcceptingApplicationsGeorgia Voices that Count (GVTC), adisability rights advocacy training andsupport program, is now acceptingapplications through January 31 for itsnext training session. GVTC trainsGeorgians with an interest andcommitment to disability advocacy.

The new GVTC class, funded by theGovernor’s Council on DevelopmentalDisabilities, is tentatively scheduled tobegin in April, with “students”graduating in February 2008. Georgianswho have a disability, a strong interestin disability rights advocacy and noprevious formal advocacy training may participate.

Participants are required to attend four training sessions, undertake an advocacy project andprovide mentorship to other peoplewith disabilities. Contact Linda Poguewith disABILITY LINK at 404-687-8890,extension 114 for info. l

President Signs Respite Bill

Please check in at the legislative/media table to receive your information packet and to have your photo taken for Making a Difference magazine!

www.gcdd.org 7

AROUND GCDD

Jacobson Named One of Georgia’sMost Influential

Governor’s Council on Developmental DisabilitiesExecutive Director Eric Jacobson has been named oneof the 100 most influential Georgians of 2007 byGeorgia Trend magazine.

“I’m so honored by this distinction, and it givesme hope that Georgians are beginning to understandthe important role people with disabilities play in ourcommunities,” Jacobson said.

“This is the ninth annuallisting of Georgia's mostpowerful movers and shakers in business, government,politics, education and community organization,”explained Georgia Trend Senior Editor Jerry Grillo.

The 100 most influential Georgians edition of themagazine hits the newsstands in January.

Childers RetiresGary Childers, fiscal officer

of the Governor’s Council onDevelopmental Disabilities, retired November 30.

A 30-year veteran of Georgiastate government, Childers spenthis last 12 years with GCDD,ensuring the organization was run efficiently and that contracts and expenditureswere processed smoothly. He also maintained the GCDD Web site.

“We will miss Gary’s faithful service and wish himall the best in his retirement,” said GCDD ExecutiveDirector Eric Jacobson.

You are invited to join disability advocates fromacross the state for the “Make it Real” Rally onDisability Day, February 22, at 11 AM at the Capitol.

• Learn more about the issues facing the disability community

• Be recognized as a disability supporter in Making a Difference magazine

• Meet constituents from your district

• Speak to hundreds of voters with disabilities

Plus enjoy a meal with your constituents; breakfast will start at 9:30 AM, and lunch is scheduled for 12:30 PM.

Meet Georgia’s Vibrant Disability Community!LEGISLATORS:

For moreinformation, visitwww.gcdd.org or

call 404.657.2126 or 888.ASK.GCDD

Make it Real!For moreinformation, visitwww.gcdd.org or

call 404.657.2126 or 888.ASK.GCDD

“I’m so honored by this distinction, and it gives me hopethat Georgians are beginning to understand the importantrole people with disabilities play in our communities.”

MAKE IT REAL...Real Careers Real Homes Real Learning Real Supports REAL INFLUENCE! MAKE IT REAL...Real Careers Real Homes Real LearningReal Supports • REAL INFLUENCE! MAKE IT REAL...Real Careers Real Homes Real Learning Real Supports REAL INFLUENCE! MAKE IT REAL...Real Careers Real Homes Real Learning Real Supports REAL INFLUENCE! MAKE IT REAL...Real Careers Real Homes Real Learning Real Supports REAL INFLUENCE! MAKE IT REAL...Real Careers Real Homes Real LearningReal Supports • REAL INFLUENCE! MAKE IT REAL...Real Careers Real Homes Real LearningReal Supports • REAL INFLUENCE!


AROUND GCDD

Join the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities at the Georgia Capitol to:

• Rally on the Capitol steps

• Celebrate community, advocacy and friendship

• Enjoy breakfast or lunch with advocates and legislators from across Georgia

• Show legislators WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

For more information, visit www.gcdd.org or call 888-ASK-GCDD.

Disability Day at the CapitolFebruary 22, 2007

ATTENDEE RSVP FORMDisability Day at the Capitol • February 22, 2007

Please register to attend the breakfast OR luncheon.

RSVP: 404-657-2126, Toll Free 888-ASK-GCDD, FAX 404-657-2132, TTY 404-657-2133, or www.gcdd.org

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Organization: ________________________________________ Total # attending: ______

Mailing Address: __________________________ City: ______________ Zip Code: ______

E-mail: ____________________________________ Telephone: ______________________

I plan to attend (please check one) _________ Breakfast _________ Lunch

Optional $10.00 donation per person to support breakfast or luncheon is appreciated, but not required. Total payment amount: ____________ Total amount enclosed: _______________

Please make check payable and return to:Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities • Disability Day Registration2 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 26-246, Atlanta, GA 30303.

Please note special accommodations we should be aware of: ____________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Disability DaySCHEDULE

9:30 AMBreakfast at the Depot

11:00 AM“Make It Real!”

Rally at the Capitol Steps

12:30 PMLunch at the Depot

www.gcdd.org 9

Creating lasting change starts withchanging the hearts and minds ofneighbors, friends and families.

The Governor’s Council onDevelopmental Disabilities has createdthe Organizing Institute to supportadvocates who are already working hardto make those changes in their owncommunities across Georgia.

Forty-three people with a passion for advocacyapplied for the program that includes fellowships inorganizations and focuses efforts on the local level.“Narrowing the field to 13 interviews was verydifficult and came out of hours of conversation.After interviews, we selected eight,” explainedSusanna Mitchell, program associate for GCDD.

“We hoped to attract participants with basicadvocacy skills and some relationships alreadyestablished in their communities,” she said.

The Organizing Institute hopes to develop andtrain grassroots organizers and help themsuccessfully complete projects in their communities.The institute also hopes to connect the disabilityrights community with other social movements.

“We know we have to make progress in reachingthose who have little or no connection withdisability and bring them into this movement, eitheractively or passively,” explained GCDD ExecutiveDirector Eric Jacobson.

The institute is divided into two sections. Inthe first section, participants come together fortraining and project planning sessions, and in thesecond, they implement the projects they plannedunder the sponsorship of a local organization.

“The Organizing Institute is a kind of graduatecourse for people who have participated in Voices(Georgia Voices that Count) and Partners (Partners inPolicymaking). In Partners and Voices, they learn thebasics of disability rights and how to apply thatknowledge when dealing with systems change issues.In the institute, we are giving them the tools totake all the knowledge and do systems change in adifferent way,” explained GCDD Advocacy DirectorKate Gainer.

“We are asking theparticipants to organizetheir communities insuch a way thatdisability will no longerbe a foreign language. Take their friends,relatives, grocer, banker,insurance agent, etc.and make disabilityrelevant to their lives.We believe that if thoseconversations start tohappen, systems changewill happen. But webelieve it won’t happen until Joe down the streetmeets and gets to know a person with a disabilityand starts to work with them where they are equals.Then Joe will see the value of an inclusivecommunity,” Gainer said.

The beauty of the training, facilitated byProject South, is that members learn from eachothers’ rich and varied experiences.

“Project South uses popular education, aninteractive method that includes historical and livedexperiences and also role play. We develop projectsas a group in this collective experience. Each sessionbuilds on the last,” revealed Stephanie Guilloud, aprogram director for Project South, an organizationthat provides movement-building skills to socialjustice organizations.

The curriculum itself is determined with inputfrom the group, who set both individual goals suchas learning public speaking, facilitating and

By Valerie Smith Buxton

New Institute GrowsGrassroots Advocates

“We hoped to attract participantswith basic advocacy skills and somerelationships already established in

their communities.”

Emery Wright (standing) leadsan interactive planning session.


FEATURE

delegating skills, and collective goals, including leadershipand strategy development, coalition building, groupprocess and more.

Through exercises, the participants are learning newways of thinking. Guilloud explained that during a role-playing exercise, “One participant planned a holiday partyfor students with disabilities. We pushed on - what are thegoals? How do you know it will be successful, lead to otherevents or build trust in the community? It’s not just thelogistics of throwing a party; it’s broader. How does hands-on, tangible work lead to a broader organizing project?”

This exercise encouraged the group to view the projectas not only a fun party for children, but also as an oppor-tunity to build lasting relationships with the community.

Another way the group learns together is by revisitinghistory. In one exercise, the group considered theAmericans with Disabilities Act as the trunk of a tree. Theactions, people, events and organizations that led to theact were the roots, and the leaves on the tree were resultsof the ADA being passed.

“We looked at the ADA to find relevance that can pushour work forward. We spent a long time on the history topull out strategies and tactics we can adjust and adapt toour own organizing plan. People talked about pushingforward legislation that advocates for people withdisabilities, and different tactics to accomplish that goal –developing petitions, relationships and actual legislationwith attorneys; direct action and mass action like amarch,” Guilloud said.

After two weekend sessions, Guilloud feels theinstitute is going well. “This group of people is reallyamazing. They will represent GCDD very well as theybecome fellows in their sponsoring organization,”

Once participants complete the institute, GCDD willstill offer support for their projects. “We are making along-term commitment to this effort, and we want to stayvery, very connected to all those who participate,”Jacobson said.

Mitchell believes the class will do well aftergraduation. “We hope participants will leave the institutewith the skills and confidence to build relationships intheir communities, to engage others in the issues they careabout and to take action for lasting community change,”she said. l

Jane GrilloFamily Member •Sautee, Ga.

Jane Grillo wasalready thinking ahead toa time when her son, whois five and has cerebralpalsy, a visual impairmentand a seizure disorder,would requiretransportation in theirrural White County

community, when the opportunity to join the OrganizingInstitute came up.

She jumped at the chance. “I like to learn skills tohelp me be a better advocate. Especially in terms ofbringing the community to the disability communityinstead of vice versa.

“I had been working on a couple of projects on myown, and one of them was a support group for familiesof special needs children. The other was seeing whetherwe could start a public transportation program in WhiteCounty. I needed help in learning how to set up thosetypes of things,” she said.

After joining the Organizing Institute, she decidedto create a respite program for families of children withdisabilities through a new, local life skills and jobtraining facility called Stepping Stone Farm. Currently,respite care for childrenis not available in WhiteCounty, even thoughGeorgia MountainCommunity Servicesoffers families up to$1,000 per year to payfor them.

Grillo has been recruiting special educationteachers, parents and professional caregivers to serve as respite providers. Each provider must pass abackground check and have CPR certification toparticipate. She is letting families know about theservice through newspaper articles and by distributingflyers through special education teachers, and at grocery stores and public libraries. Board members ofthe Stepping Stone Farm are also spreading the wordthrough community organizations such as Rotary Club.

“I have met some people involved in this effortthat are just like me. They see a need in the communityand realize there is a possibility they could make somechange in creating a service where there is none,” she said.

“I like to learnskills to help me

be a betteradvocate.”

“This group of people is

really amazing.They will represent GCDD very well

as they become fellows in theirsponsoring organization.”

www.gcdd.org 11

Patricia UnderwoodFamily Member • Peachtree City, Ga.

After her son experienced a spinal cord injury,Patricia Underwood turned to the Brain and SpinalInjury Trust Fund (BSITF) for help. “I was impressedwith the group’s ability to directly help people withspinal cord injuries, instead of going through thetypical government bureaucracy,” she explained.

Underwood has chosen to work with the BSITF’scommission for her project as part of the OrganizingInstitute. “I have always tried to be involved on anindividual basis, and I saw this as an opportunity foroutreach to a broader population,” the Partners inPolicymaking graduate said.

As a CPA, Underwood hopes to help the commissioncontinue to collect the money it receives as a result of

DUI fines. “They’re havingproblems collecting courtfees that are assessedright now,” she said.

In addition, theGeorgia legislature isconsidering capping feeson traffic fines, whichcould limit the amount of money coming into the trust. Underwood has already helpedfacilitate a meeting

between the commission and one of the senatorsworking on the issue.

Underwood expects her participation in theOrganizing Institute to help her with her project, aswell as with her other advocacy efforts, such as helpingparents navigate the complex Individualized EducationalProgram (IEP) process at school and serving on the IEPcommittees for students who don’t have parents oradvocates.

“I’ve learned (from the other members) you justhave to keep trying, keep plugging away and never giveup,” she said.

BarbaraannBongiovanniSelf-Advocateand FamilyMember •Alpharetta, Ga.

BarbaraannBongiovanni considers her participation in theOrganizing Institute as a natural extension to

her Georgia Voices That Count training. “In Georgia Voices I was an advocate and peer

supporter. They gave us all the information. In theOrganizing Institute, I’m using all that information tomake a difference in the community,” she said.

Bongiovanni will work with disABILITY LINK to helppeople transition from nursing homes to apartments ortheir family homes. She is also participating on a taskforce for special populations for the City of Roswell.

She has set high standards for herself. “I want tomake a difference in the disability community. I wantsomebody else’s life to be better. I want to lead. I wantto be able to say, ‘You need help? Just go here.’ I wantto be a Kate (Gainer, advocacy director for theGovernor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities). Shehas made such a positive life for herself and others.”

The self-advocatealso has high hopesfor the otherOrganizing Instituteparticipants. “After westart the fellowships,I’d love to see, abouthalfway through, howeveryone’s doing. See if we really did make a difference.I think that would be cool. I want to let the communityknow we’re out there working for them.”

“I have always tried to be involvedon an individual basis, and I saw

this as an opportunity for outreachto a broader population.”

“I want to be able to say,

‘You need help?Just go here.’”

GRASS ROOTS EFFORTS


FEATURE

William “Chase” TeateSelf-Advocate • Winder, Ga.

A 16-year-old junior at Winder-Barrow High School,William “Chase” Teate is the youngest member of theOrganizing Institute. As a student in the specialeducation program at his school, Teate knows thatsupport for rising sixth graders can make a huge impacton their success in high school and life.

“My view of the educational system is that bymiddle school you’ve indirectly determined your finaldirection in life. By helping students entering middleschool do well and work out their strengths andweaknesses, they will do better in high school and life,”Teate explained.

The high schooler plans to set up a mentoringprogram that would match two seniors in the specialeducation program with about 10 rising 6th graderseach to help mentor. “These would be kids who couldgraduate, but due to outside issues, they are most at

risk of dropping out ordoing poorly in school,”he said.

“Mentors would letthem know that despitetheir disabilities, they canachieve; they can do well.We would help them gettheir long and short-termgoals organized.”

Teate will work withthe board of education’stransition coordinator tohelp set up the pilot

program at his own school, and if it is successful,implement a similar program at the other high school inBarrow County. He is also trying to make the mentorshipprogram a related vocational instruction apprenticeshipso mentors could be paid for their participation.

Teate said he is enjoying learning how tosuccessfully set up a project in his community. “It’s a lot of fun and energetic, but we’re still learning. It’s alot more interactive than a school setting.”

Caitlin ChildsActivist •Atlanta, Ga.

Caitlin Childs jumpedat the opportunity toconnect her social justiceactivism with disabilitywork when she sawinformation about theOrganizing Institute onan activist email list she receives.

“I’ve done a lot of activist organizing for a longtime, but never focused on disability,” the veteranadvocate explained.

Childs, a board member of Charis Circle, a nonprofitfeminist organization that hosts informational anddiscussion sessions on a variety of topics, hasexperience with queer, anti-racist and intersex activism,and is looking forward to incorporating disability intowhat she has experienced in those areas.

While she is still working out the specifics of herproject, Childs already has several ideas. “Charis Circledoes programs that are free and open to public, like

bringing authorsin to read andsocial justiceissues. I want toconnect disabilityto other programswe’re doingalready. We havea do-it-yourselfprogram – wecould do one onhow to make your houseaccessible. I’m

still trying to figure out exactly what that’s going tolook like,” she revealed.

Childs said while she has been organizing for awhile, this is the first training she’s had. “Before, I justjumped in headfirst and learned by failing. Now I’mlearning more formally how to organize,” she said.

Charis Circle is committed to an inclusivecommunity, and Childs hopes that once disability isbrought into the mix, it will be there to stay.

“Once I finish the (Organizing Institute), disabilitywill continue to be a focus of Charis Circle,” she said.

“We have a do-it-yourself program – wecould do one on howto make your houseaccessible. I’m stilltrying to figure outexactly what that’sgoing to look like.”

“By helping students enteringmiddle school do well and work

out their strengths and weaknesses,they will do better in high school

and life.”

www.gcdd.org 13

Patricia WilliamsSelf-Advocate • Atlanta, Ga.

A family history of disability advocacy, interest inself-employment for people with disabilities andpersonal experience with a slow vocationalrehabilitation process spurred self-advocate PatriciaWilliams to apply to the Organizing Institute.

“I wanted to help myself and other people in the disability community to become more included inall areas of society. Particularly what I find lacking is self-employment for people with disabilities,”

Williams revealed.She has found the

training to be helpful.“My leadership skills andanalytical skills haveincreased tremendously,”she said.

A consultant whotrains people to beentrepreneurs, Williamsplans to partner with 9 to 5 Atlanta, anorganization thatpromotes women’s rights

in the employment arena. The organization works tocombat job discrimination and improve family rights.

“I hope to complete the training with a solid planof action to work in the general community to assurethere is a raising of the level of awareness of themultitude of talents people with disabilities have. I alsohope to join forces with people to bring someaccountability to violation of disability laws,” she said.

The Organizing Institute has been an enrichingexperience to Williams, and she hopes the program willcontinue on after this inaugural year. “The candidateswho were selected all bring something very special andunique to the table, and we’re all so enriched each timewe come together. That’s a very empoweringexperience,” she said.

Hallie “Queen” CromartieSelf-Advocate • Macon, Ga.

A trip to Disability Day (D-Day) a few years ago changedQueen Cromartie’s life forever. “I saw the sea of people, andthey blew me away. I said, ‘Oh, my God, allow me to be theirvoice, be their advocate,’” she revealed.

Cromartie, who lived in a nursing home for 4.5 yearsfinally moved into her own home after receiving assistancefrom Georgia’s Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP).Since her trip to D-Day, she has been working toward hergoal of helping others, graduating from Partners in Policy-making and taking training through the Georgia AdvocacyOffice before landing in the Organizing Institute, where shewill work on transportation with Disability Connections.

“I would like to see people in a rural area be able to get hold of transportation,” she explained. She is especiallyconcerned that existing transportation is not maintained welland often wheelchair lifts don’t operate.

“Sometimes people with disabilities can’t go certainplaces because all the vans are down. I’m looking forward to changing or making accommodations,” Cromartie said.

She also hopes to establish a forum where people inBibb County can address transportation concerns. She hasfound her Organizing Institute training to be helpful in thisarea. “I’ve learned to be more aggressive in getting to thepoint, the bottom line, and always going to the top.”

Denise Noseworthy Self-Advocate • LaFayette, Ga.

To Denise Noseworthy, advocating can be as easy as A-B-C, when you have the right tools and knowledge.Noseworthy, a certified peer specialist at Cornerstone, aservice of Lookout Mountain Community Services inLaFayette, Ga., hopes to share what she’s learned aboutadvocacy with trainers across the state.

“I do self-advocacy training with the people I workwith,” explained the Georgia Voices That Count graduate. “My project is to start ABC – Advocating Brings Change.”

Noseworthy envisions ABC as a statewide program. “Theprogram would teach people how to use resources and howthe system works, so more people can advocate for them-selves. It’s about being assertive. It’s about compromise.”

A former board member of the Mental Health Associationof South Coastal Georgia, Noseworthy said the mental healthcommunity is often overlooked. “They don’t know how tospeak for themselves,” she said.

Noseworthy is happy to be part of the OrganizingInstitute. “I’m able to get more skills from others – whatworks and what doesn’t. I’m gaining tools I can bring back to the community I work in so they can become betteradvocates for themselves,” she said.

“I wanted to help myself and other people in the disabilitycommunity to become more

included in all areas of society.”

GRASS ROOTS EFFORTS


When Jan Edelen’s daughterwas diagnosed withdyslexia, she researched

ways she could help her child andothers with disabilities excel inschool, instead of just settling.

“Every child learns in a different way, and theone-size-fits-all school system isn’t going to beappropriate for every child – that’s when I decidedto participate in the Parent Leadership SupportProject (PLSP) program,” she said.

PLSP is just one of many advocacy trainingprograms offered by the Georgia Advocacy Office(GAO), a private nonprofit corporation whosemission is to work with and for oppressedindividuals who have a disability or mental illnessto secure their protection and advocacy.

GAO Executive Director Ruby Moore states,“There are over eight million people in the stateof Georgia, and most citizens are not aware thatpeople are segregated just for having a disability.”

The GAO sponsors numerous types of commu-nity education and training events around Georgiaon topics such as moving children out of insti-tutions, guardianship, advocating for children’seducation in neighborhood schools, self-advocacyskills and voter and patient rights, often in con-junction with other organizations such as PeopleFirst and the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund.These sessions are often intended to be livingroom-sized to better sustain shared learning

among advocates, but some have been regional or state-wide in size.

Moore revealed, “After the training, peoplestep forward and ask, ‘what can I do?’ It’s amazingwhat people can and will do if they have theawareness of what’s going on and have theresources to take action.”

The PLSP, a significant program offered by the GAO, is designed to train Georgia parents ofchildren with disabilities, and other concernedcitizens, to master information and negotiatesystems to secure the educational opportunitiesthat are mandated for children with disabilities.The PLSP program lasts approximately 13 weeksand consists of weekly presentations given byleading educational and legal experts.

Edelen, a December 2005 graduate of PLSP,explains that she took the training session tobetter understand what rights and opportunitiesher child had.

Edelen explained that one of most interestingthings the advocacy training discusses is simplyreminding people that everyone is an individualand that everyone has social roles.

Advocacy TrainingBy Nicole Galletta

“There are over eight millionpeople in the state of Georgia,

and most citizens are not awarethat people are segregated just

for having a disability.”

MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Advocacy TrainingMAKES A DIFFERENCE

Ruby Moore, right, discusses advocating for children in institutions with Zolinda Stoneman, Ph.D., of theInstitute on Human Development and Disability.

The Road to Freedom TourBy Nicole Galletta

The Road to Freedom Tour stopped in AtlantaDecember 15 – 18 during its year-long, cross-countrybus journey to expose mainstream audiences to theAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Road toFreedom Tour brings awareness of the history ofdisability rights movement and the ongoing strugglefor equal access to healthcare, transportation,education, employment and more.

Tour organizer JimWard, who serves aspresident of ADA Watchand the NationalCoalition for DisabilityRights (NCDR), saidwork still needs to bedone in the disabilityrights arena. “The emptyaccessible parking spotswe see every dayrepresent the people stilllocked up in institutions.There are people that can’t go to the movies or can’tafford to eat out at restaurants because jobs weren’tcreated for them.

“Our job is not only to introduce and remindpeople of the struggles for equality among peoplewith disabilities, but it is our hope that by travelingthis beautiful country, we awaken and strengthen thespirit to promote change,” explained Ward.

The tour features an exhibit of national disabilityrights with photographs from photojournalist TomOlin and newspaper articles and other itemschronicling history-making civil rights movementsmade by people with disabilities.

Launched from Washington, D.C., the tour hadalready made its way to major cities in Maryland,New Jersey, South Carolina and North Carolina, before its two Atlanta stops at the main branch ofthe Atlanta Public Library and Shepherd Center. The tour is expected to make more than 80 stops,traveling to every state in the nation, in two highlyvisible RVs.

The tour is proudly presented by ADA Watch, a project of the National Coalition for DisabilityRights (NCDR) based in Washington, D.C. The NCDRis a nonprofit alliance of hundreds of disability, civil rights, and social justice organizations united to defend and strengthen educational andeconomical opportunities for children and adultswith disabilities.

www.gcdd.org 15

“My child isn’t just a child with a disability. She’s adaughter, a sister, a niece, etc. – everyone needs the bestquality of life they can have. We just need to worktogether to ensure these kids can get that quality of life,”Edelen said.

Leslie Lipson, an attorney with the GAO, runs thePLSP, and agrees that working together makes an impact.“There are about 200 past graduates of PLSP, and they’vehelped over 1,200 families. They stay very connected,”she explained.

Currently, many former PLSP graduates are using theirtraining experience to participate in public meetingsabout the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals withDisabilities Education Act (IDEA), according to Lipson.

Edelen states that in taking the PLSP training sessionshe now feels confident she can make a difference andthat she knows what rights her child and other childrenare entitled to in assuring they have the best educationavailable.

“I feel like I’m a part of the team with the teachersand the school to help my child learn and become anactive member of society,” said Edelen. “I want to be an

advocate for other children as well.” Edelen is now the chairperson

of Exceptional Children, a PTAprogram at a local elementary school that assures students withdisabilities develop mentally,physically and emotionally throughthe provision of an appropriateindividualized education in theleast restrictive environment. l

“ ”After the training,people step forward and ask,

‘what can I do?’

People interested in applying forthe next PLSP training session,

which will accept 30 participants,should complete a brief interest survey found on theGAO Web site, www.thegao.org./training.htm. Foradditional advocacy training sessions offered, pleasecontact the GAO office at 404-885-1234. For more information, visit

www.adawatch.org/roadtofreedom.htm

(L to R) Kate Gainer, Jim Ward, Sen.-elect Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta), Eric Jacobson and Valerie Suber


Woman Buys Home with DCA Loan AssistanceBy Michelle Aulthouse

Michelle Aulthouse, a self-advocate, has workedin the disability commu-nity for over 10 years,helping people learn tolive independently. Agraduate of Partners inPolicymaking, Aulthousehas served as treasurer for People First of Atlantaand People First ofGeorgia, and hasparticipated in two LongRoad Home marches. Sheis currently a member ofthe Governor’s Council onDevelopmental Disabilities.

I ‘ve always thrived in achieving goals that manyAmerican men and women achieved throughouttheir lives, despite my disability. Within 10 years or

so, I achieved four of my life goals. I got my Bachelorof Arts in Psychology andMaster of Arts inRehabilitation Counseling fromEdinboro University ofPennsylvania. I accepted a joboffer and moved to Norman,Okla., and four years later, Iaccepted another job offer andmoved to Decatur, Ga., andthen I fell in love and married my husband.

Four years ago, my husband, David, and I startedto consider owning our own home. At the time we wereliving in a very nice one-bedroom apartment with ourpuppy, Rootbeer. David expressed some reservationsabout purchasing our own home. I suggested that wetry getting a loan and find a home to purchase, and ifwe ran across any problems, then we would take it as asign to stop, and we would stop and be happy living inour cozy little apartment. We agreed to begin to findout what steps we needed to take to find our ownperfect house.

I found out that the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has a program for first time homebuyersfor people with disabilities. I did research on what Ihad to do to get a DCA loan. All we had to do was call a mortgage company who handled DCA loans. Ireceived two numbers of mortgage companies, and Ipicked one and called to set up an appointment tocome in and speak to a mortgage agent.

David and I had our appointment at Unitymortgage to see if we qualified for a DCA loan and ifwe could afford our monthly payments. We got a yes toboth questions. We had to provide our mortgage agentwith a lot of information, such as my work pay stubs,my bank statements and other background information.

From that point the ball started rolling. Denise,our mortgage agent, connected us with a realtor, KC,who works with GMAC Real Estate and gave us a bookto read about the homebuying process. Both Denise and

KC were great. They had ourbest interest at heart. Theyreally wanted us to have ourown home. We looked at about20 houses and made bids thatwere rejected on two houses,before we found our perfecthouse in Stone Mountain. Bythen, we had been looking for

about two months. As soon as I walked into the frontentrance, I knew this was the perfect house for us. Wemade a bid, and it was accepted!! Before the closing,we paid for someone to do an inspection to make surethe house was in good shape. On December 22, Davidand I went to our closing at a lawyer’s office, and Isigned the deed and so many papers that I thought Iwas signing my life away. We left the lawyer’s officewith the keys to our perfect house. We were bothfeeling very excited that day. In early January, wemoved into our new home.

I know my home buying experience is very rare due to the fact I didn’t run into one problem when Iwas trying to get the DCA loan. I have heard severalstories about people having trouble getting a DCA loan,but I didn’t.

David and I have been in our house three years.We love our house. We have had some hardships alongthe way, such as a plumbing issue that needed to befixed; our furnace breaking down; and lightning strikingour roof. But we are managing the house just fine evenwith all these hardships that came our way. We arevery blessed. l

“I found out that theDepartment of Community

Affairs (DCA) has a programfor first time homebuyers

for people with disabilities.”

www.gcdd.org 17

Two different paths

lead to homeownership.

Family Support Helps Man Live IndependentlyBy Ruth Lee Clendon Langevin

A retired nurse, Ruth LeeClendon Langevin continues toadvocate for her son, Chip,who has cognitive disabilities.She has served as president ofthe Lower Shore MentalHealth Association, on theCitizen’s Advisory Board forthe Eastern Shore StateHospital and the GeorgiaGovernor’s Council onDevelopmental Disabilities.

Chip Clendon, who is 44,lives in his own home, isemployed 30 hours a week atone of the dining halls at theUniversity of Georgia, is ableto use the city bus system toand from work and is withinwalking distance of his bank,a mall and movie theatre. Hereceives support from GeorgiaOptions, a private, non-profitprovider, with his mealplanning and groceryshopping. He manages hismedication and medical needswith the help of his mother.

M y son Chip Clendon was 30 years old andliving at home in Maryland with us. Asupported living waiver was available, but we

were told that men did not usually do well in supportedliving. After several attempts to get the waiver, manymeetings and volumes of paperwork going nowhere, Iwrote a letter to the governor of Maryland, WilliamDonald Schaffer. Three months later, the first supportedliving apartment for men was established in Salisbury,Md. Chip moved in on November 1, 1993.

In 1996, my husband retired, and we moved toGeorgia after being assured that anything Marylandcould do, Georgia could do. Not so! The philosophy ofhow individuals should live and flourish in their ownhomes was just not there.

Shortly after moving here, we met Tom Nolan andhis mother Derenn Bell. An instant friendshipdeveloped, and Chip and Tom moved in together in anapartment in Athens. Both men attained jobs, Tom atWinn Dixie andChip at Five PointsDeli and More.They receivedsupportive servicesfrom the localcommunity serviceboard (CSB),including help withgrocery shopping, meal planning and occasional socialoutings. They found they were not compatiblepersonality-wise. The two families decided to buycondos at the opposite ends of the building for themen. Tom received a personal loan for first timehomeowners with a disability. We made the decision tobuy Chip’s condo for him. This gave both men their ownhomes, while maintaining their friendship and privacy.They decided to take turns every Wednesday preparing ameal to share, a practice that continues to this day.

During this period, the services being provided bythe CSB were erratic, so the families approachedGeorgia Options, a nonprofit agency in Athens thatsupports people with disabilities to live in their ownhomes and have typical life experiences, for help. The

agency agreed to provide supportive services. Thisarrangement has worked out very well. Georgia Optionsrespects the person being served and nourishescommunity involvement and talents.

After working at Five Points Deli and More foreight years, Chip became ill and was no longer able towork. He was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect inhis heart and required surgery. Shortly afterwards hewas diagnosed with diabetes 2, hypertension and highcholesterol, all requiring medication, diet monitoringand daily blood tests.

It also became apparent at this time that theneighborhood that he and Tom were living in wasbecoming less desirable as a home. The families decidedto purchase two townhouses in a small communityacross the street from one another.

With help from the Athens VocationalRehabilitation, Chip now has a new job at theUniversity of Georgia working in the kitchen at

Oglethorpe Dining Hall. He takes thebus to work and is within walkingdistance of his bank, a movie theatreand a mall. Chip enjoys his own lifeand the freedom to live it. GeorgiaOptions fills in the gaps. Theyprovide a wonderful young man whohelps Chip with his grocery shopping,is a confidant, makes sure that his

home is safe and well cared for and takes him and Tomout to attend plays, musicals and other events. Chipalso attends church every Sunday. Chip is very happywith HIS life. He loves to come home for holidays andenjoys being with his family and appreciates familyvisiting him in his home. We are always respectful thatit is HIS home and HIS life.

As a parent, I would like to say that this has notalways been an easy process, more trial and error. Therehave been financial sacrifices and sleepless nights andcrying binges, questioning myself as to whether or notI am doing the right thing. I firmly believe that my sonhas a right to live and enjoy his own life, to makemistakes and learn from them. He is doing that, and Iwill always support him. l

“Georgia Options has thephilosophy of individualism andrespect for the person beingserved and nourishes communityinvolvement and talents.”


It is hard to believe that a full year has passed since theprevious legislative session!

But here we are again, surveying the budget and legislative landscape,reviewing the outcomes of theelections and changes in leadershipand listening to the advocates. Atthe October Governor’s Council onDevelopmental Disabilities meeting,held in Savannah, issues weresubmitted to Council members fortheir consideration, and the groupdetermined its priorities.

GCDD’s agenda setting process engages abroad constituency of organizations andindividuals involved with disability advocacy. InSeptember, letters were sent to approximately 35agencies and organizations representing a varietyof disability-related activities, inviting them to

submit the budget or legislative issues on whichthey would be focused during the legislativesession. The issue had to have some impact onthe community of people with developmental

disabilities; be in concert with GCDD mission,vision and values; capitalize on the expertise ofGCDD; and be an issue on which GCDD couldconstructively use its limited resources. Wereceived input from more than a dozenorganizations, and we sought information from afew state agencies that we knew were working onitems that would affect individuals withdisabilities. These items were summarized andexplained to the Council members in October, andthrough a show of hands, were separated into 5tiers of action: initiate; active support; supportby name; remain neutral; and oppose.

In addition, as GCDD just completed its five-year work plan, several of the legislative prioritiesare issues that Council members determined needour top tier priority status. These action items arelisted in Tier I below.

The following discussion presents the items onour legislative agenda to date, and therecommended level of support. Keep in mind theactivities of the legislative session are a movingtarget, and our attention to particular issues isalways subject to change. For that reason, an adhoc Public Policy Committee was established ofCouncil members, who will meet by phone eachweek to review the events of that week, makeadjustments to the agenda and advise me. GCDDwill be supported at the Capitol by severalindividuals who are working on particular budgetitems or legislation.

It is also important to note that althoughrevenue collections for the state have been wellabove prior year levels for most of the year, thegovernor’s budget instructions to the agencieswere flat funding, which means any enhancementsin the budget had to come from within agencies’current budgets with no new dollars. Agencieswere allowed to submit enhancement requestsseparately. The revenue estimate is subject tochange, and we will be paying close attention tofurther guidance from the governor’s office.

GCDD Sets

Legislative Priorities FOR 2007 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

In September, letters were sentto approximately 35 agencies

and organizations representing avariety of disability-related activities, invitingthem to submit the budget or legislativeissues on which they would be focused duringthe legislative session.

By Deputy Director Patricia Nobbie, D.P.A.

www.gcdd.org 19

Tier I: GCDD InitiatesUnlock the Waiting Lists!: Request is 2,000MRWP slots, $19,072,449 state funding for 12 months.

The Unlock the Waiting Lists! campaign isguided by House Resolution 1307, which sets outa five-year funding plan to reduce the list to a“reasonable pace.” We are in the third year of thatplan, and the legislature has done well in the pasttwo years funding the recommended number ofservices; 925 of the recommended 1000 the firstyear; and 1,500 services funded for six monthslast session (recommendation was 1,500). Thisyear, the recommendation is 2,000 slots, and thiswill be a challenge. The flat funding budgetinstructions mean that the Department of HumanResources (DHR) could only propose 170 waiver

services that could be funded with existingdollars. However, DHR did submit an enhancementrequest that proposed funding for 1,000, 1,500and 1,830 services, of which the last proposedlevel would bring the total to 2,000, meeting thegoals of the multi-year funding plan. The fundingof 2,000 services was fully supported by the DHRboard in its August meeting. Therefore, GCDD andthe Unlock the Waiting Lists! campaign will beadvocating for the funding of 2,000 new waiverservices. The enhancement request also includesfunds to establish the necessary infrastructure tosupport individuals in the community such assupport coordination, intake and evaluation,person-centered planning, employment initiatives,behavioral and nursing services and medications,for example.

Money Follows the Person: The Department ofCommunity Health (DCH), with the collaboration

of DHR and numerous organizations involved inlong-term care, submitted a proposal to moveindividuals from state hospitals and nursing homesunder an opportunity in the federal DeficitReduction Act. GCDD contributed funds to pay agrant writer to pull the proposal together. TheMoney Follows Person Rebalancing Initiativeprovides states with an enhanced federal share ofthe Medicaid costs for the first 12 months of anindividual’s life outside an institution as a way ofproviding an incentive to states to move peopleinto the community. Georgia will plan to move650 individuals with developmental disabilitiesfrom state hospitals over the next three years. InGCDD’s five-year plan, the goal is to getlegislation passed by 2011 for money to followpersons out of institutions to communities.

Medicaid Buy-In: In the last legislative session,the General Assembly directed DCH to work up thecosts for a proposed Medicaid Buy-In program. Abuy-in would enable individuals with disabilitiesto seek and maintain competitive employment andsalaries without jeopardizing their health benefits

This year, the recommendation is 2,000 slots, and this will

be a challenge.


through sharing the cost of their Medicaidcoverage, like paying an insurance premium. Costprojections are complete; the estimated cost inthe DCH budget ranges from $1 million to $2.8million depending on the number of people to becovered and other actuarial variables, butapproximately $3,000,000.

Children’s Freedom Initiative: A resolution tomove all children under the age of 21 from statehospitals, nursing homes and private IntermediateCare Facilities – Mental Retardation (ICF-MRs) waspassed in the 2005 session. Last year, thelegislature appropriated funds for enough waiverservices to support the movement of 44 childrenfrom the state hospitals. This work has begun,and we want to ensure that the legislaturecontinues to allocate enough funding to move therest of the children without compromising thebudget needed to support adults with develop-mental disabilities in the community. In the nextfew years, GCDD will begin conversations aboutlegislation to close the front door of institutions,so in the future, no child will grow up in aninstitution because that was the only option.

Education Issues: Under No Child Left Behind,students with disabilities made tremendous gainsin every subject area and every grade in the lastyear. GCDD is focused on three areas of concern,which may not come up this session, but we arestill vigilant. First, we support the design ofalternative tracks to the standard diploma. Thespecial education diploma closes off too manyoptions for students with disabilities. Second, wesupport the development of a funding formulathat facilitates the inclusion of students with

disabilities in the general education curriculum.We are watching the work of the ie2, thegovernor’s quality basic education finance taskforce. Third, we are concerned about teacherquality and training especially for students withsignificant disabilities, so we are tracking anyeducation initiatives that would affectcertification, professional development andretention of special education teachers.

Election Code: HB 1435, passed last year, madesome major improvements to the voting processfor people with disabilities, particularly thosewho requested poll assistance. Some correctionsneed to be made to the section of the codeaffected by this legislation, and we are workingtoward a less restrictive definition of disability.

Tier II: GCDD Actively SupportsService Provider Rates: The reimbursement ratesfor providers in the developmental disabilitiesarena do not keep pace with the cost of providinghigh quality, stable care. The Service ProvidersAssociation for Developmental Disabilities(SPADD) is seeking a 4.5% increase to Grant-in-Aid (state) funds used for services to individuals

who are not Medicaid eligible, such as flexiblefamily supports, and increasing the salaries ofdirect support staff. The request comes toapproximately $2.8 million. The providers are alsoseeking a 4% consumer rate increase for allservices, Medicaid and non-Medicaid, to keeppace with inflation, and provide cost of livingincreases to direct care staff.

TBI/SCI Funding: The Brain and Spinal InjuryTrust Fund is requesting a $500,000 line item inthe state budget to allow it to assist anadditional 75 - 125 Georgians every year,administer the central registry and continue toprovide individualized support with theapplication process.

FEATURE

The reimbursement rates forproviders in the developmentaldisabilities arena do not keep

pace with the cost of providinghigh quality, stable care.

Reintroduce E-Text Legislation: The proposedlegislation would cover students with print accessdisabilities, that is students on the secondary level at all public and private postsecondaryinstitutions, including tech schools and proprietaryschools, who must be accommodated under theAmericans with Disabilities Act or RehabilitationAct. The legislation defines electronic versions ofinstructional materials, requiring structuralintegrity, including graphs, charts and tables. The Learning Disability Association of Georgia has begun to educate students on legislativestrategies, and the plan is to reintroduce a bill andstart the conversation again.

Tier III: GCDD Supports in NameFor the following list of initiatives, GCDD will allow its name to be used as a supporter of theinitiative, but will otherwise take no direct action.

n Support Georgia Alliance on Direct SupportProfessionals for DSP Recognition Day at the Capitol.

n Support the Jewish Federation of GreaterAtlanta in their request for $575,000 forNaturally Occurring Retirement Communities.NORCs allow seniors to remain at home for aslong as possible through the provision ofcommunity supports. This allocation would bein the DHR budget.

n Support the Tools for Independence project toestablish an assistive technology project ineach Center for Independent Living andsupport funding for a new CIL in Columbusthat would coordinate the project. The projectis headed by the State Independent LivingCouncil with Tools for Life. The allocationwould be in the Department of Labor budget.

n Support the effort to raise the Georgiaminimum wage to $7 per hour, led by theLiving Wage Coalition and others. The effort inCongress to raise the minimum wage will helphere, but only wages for employees inbusinesses that fall under the InterstateCommerce Act would be raised. This bill wouldaffect all workers in Georgia.

n Support passage of the Time For Schools Actthat would provide job-protected leave forparents to attend meetings or events at their child’s school. This legislation will bereintroduced and is being supported by the Working Families Coalition.

n Reintroduce legislation,formerly SB 248 from the 2006session, that would reallocateemployment-related resourcesfor people who are blind or whoare deaf and blind to improveaccess and services.

n Establish a Commission for theBlind: These were HB 1420 andSB 621 respectively, and willneed to be reintroduced.

n Require teachers of people whoare blind be literate in Braille.

n Create legislation that wouldincrease fines and penalties for harming a guide dog whileworking.

Currently, GCDD has no items inthe “neutral” or “oppose” tiers. Wewill also be watching several issues on thehealthcare front: changes in dental services andrates in the Medicaid budget; implementation ofthe Care Management Organizations and theprovider issues that have arisen there; priorauthorization for therapies for children in theBabies Can’t Wait and Katie Beckett populations;and the movement of PeachCare for All Kids, a billthat will expand health insurance to children. Inthe areas of revenue, we will be tracking the workthat has been done on reforming Georgia’s TaxCode, and any efforts to pass legislation thatwould limit the growth on government services byinstalling a cap. We also never know what mightcome up!

Weekly updates on the legislative session areprovided in Moving Forward, so make sure you areon the mailing or e-mail list to receive it. Find outwho your legislators are (there are some newones!) by going on www.vote-smart.org, and enteryour 9-digit zip code. Take the time to contactyour legislator, particularly if he or she is new, soyou can share the family member or self-advocateperspective. Lastly, mark your calendars forFebruary 22, Disability Day at the Capitol, thebiggest advocacy day during the session. l

Take the

TIMEto contact yourLEGISLATOR,particularly ifhe or she isnew, so you canshare the familymember orSELF-ADVOCATEPERSPECTIVE.

www.gcdd.org 21

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

“


By Christina Rosell

Welcome Home” isn’t adoormat seen often atinstitutions. But more

people living in institutions andnursing homes will have a reason tofeel more at home in the near future.That’s because the state is fundingwaivers to help people move out ofinstitutions and into homes in thecommunity.

Community integration is a response to theSupreme Court’s 1999 Olmstead Decision, which

mandatedthat peoplewithdisabilitieshave theright to live

in integrated community settings with state supportinstead of being segregated in institutions andnursing homes.

Though a great victory for the disabilitycommunity, other barriers still need to be overcome.

“The most important and the most challenging[task] is assisting them in finding housing,” NormaAsheber of disABILITY LINK explained. The transitionsupervisor assists people with disabilities in findinghousing and start-up related items. Some of theorganization’s services include identifying accessibleapartment complexes or homes for rent or ownership;helping with paperwork; finding start-up householditems like beds, coffee makers, etc.; and evenreferring service providers if the client has anindependent care waiver or Medicaid waiver.

“I do whatever I can to get that person backinto the community, stabilized and with all thethings they need to be independent,” Asheber said,including accessible and affordable housing. Some say that’s like finding a needle in a haystack.

But Asheber disagrees, “I think it’s there, wejust need to find it.”

The five-year home hunter’s secret is face time.“I get out there and interact with the apartmentfolks, and I’m able to get people in,” she explained,admitting that she avoids submitting applicationsuntil she meets apartment managers in person. “Theyneed to see a face, they need to know there is a needand they can fill it.”

Asheber finds her personal touch has helpedsome of her clients skip waiting lists all together.Staying in touch with her contacts includes sendingthank you notes, Christmas cards and just droppingby to say “hello.”

She also takes the time to tour potentialabodes, ensuring they meet her clients’ needs. Sheacknowledges some landlords will inaccurately claim a living space is accessible after having mademinimal upgrades, but insists there are plenty ofaccessible and affordable spaces to be found in themetro Atlanta area.

Recently, one of Asheber’s clients benefited fromone of her relationships. A new client, a 52-year-oldman with musculardystrophy, and his older brother with thesame condition, neededto find a wheelchair-accessible apartment.When Asheber learnedone of the brothers wasbeing abused, she knewshe had to move fast.Usually, it can takeseveral weeks to severalmonths to find a home, but through her network,the brothers were movedin within a week. The rent was slightly abovetheir budget, but she’s currently working on a Section 8 home assistance application that will help with the difference.

Welcome Home

“I do whatever I can to get that person backinto the community, stabilized and with all the things they need to be independent.”

Welcome Home

Johnny Merrit had lost his self-respect while living in a nursinghome. With the help of transitionsupervisor Norma Asheber, he nowenjoys living independently in aDalton, GA apartment.

A Home of Her OwnTina Dayton, a 30-something woman, has alwaysdreamed of owning a home. She applied to Habitatfor Humanity®, but even with the organization’s deepfinancial contributions, the monthly payments wouldstill be a little too high. But the Habitat employeeworking with Dayton, Harold Desseldorf, wanted tomake it work. He contacted the Macon HousingAuthority who got their proven partner, DisabilityConnections, involved as well.

“This was a woman who had all the attributesyou want to see in a first time homebuyer,” said John Hiscox, executive director of the Macon Housing Authority.

Hiscox explained that in 1998, Congress passeda housing act allowing the housing authorities to useSection 8 vouchers in support of home ownership,not just rental housing. So the Macon authority

worked with Habitat and Disability Connections tocome up with a financial package that made homeownership feasible for Dayton.

“Not too many people think it can happen, butthe Lord just provided it all,” the new homeowner said.

A Light Bulb MomentThis isn’t the first time Disability Connections andthe Macon Housing Authority have collaborated. In2005, the partners won the Department of CommunityAffairs’ Magnolia Award for Excellence in AffordableHousing. The joint award honored the cooperativespirit of the organizations in assisting low-incomepeople with disabilities become more independent.

Like many brilliant solutions, the partnershipsprung out of necessity – a “catch 22” that waskeeping people from moving out of nursing homes. According to Jerilyn Leverett of DisabilityConnections, people in nursing homes would apply for waivers that would provide them with the servicesthey needed to live outside the nursing home, oftenending up on a long waiting list.

When a consumer in a nursing home makes it to the top of the waiting list and becomes enrolled in the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP), heor she can lose the waiver if services are not usedwithin 180 days. The waiver recipient cannot startusing personal support services whileliving in the nursing home. That meansonce consumers are awarded independentcare waivers, they have less than 180 daysto find housing and begin using services.The window of time is even smaller forpeople who are not coming out of nursinghomes – 60 days.

Leverett said the consumers wouldthen apply for Section 8 vouchers, only toend up on another long waiting list. Thenthe waivers for services would expire.

The same situation could happen theother way as well, as the Section 8voucher has a 120-day window to beginuse. If a consumer came to the top of thelist for housing assistance,he or she wouldmost likely not havebeen awarded theneeded ICWP or otherMedicaid waivers.

www.gcdd.org 23

Tina Dayton’s home was built with the love of Habitat forHumanity volunteers.

“This was a woman who had all theattributes you want to see in a firsttime homebuyer.”

Tina Dayton’s dream ofhomeownership came truewith help from Habitatfor Humanity, the MaconHousing Authority andDisability Connections.

“This is classic bureaucratic stupidity,” Hiscoxsaid. Luckily, Hiscox, Leverett and their teams founda way to bridge the two programs.

It turns out that housing authorities are enabledto award some local priorities for Section 8. “We gavepriority to people with disabilities who had obtaineda waiver to help them locate housing and negotiateany changes to housing with the landlord,” Hiscoxsaid. “The savings to the federal government havebeen large, and these people have a good quality of

life. It’s the sort of thingthat taxpayers want tofind you doing.”Another problem with

the Section 8 housingvouchers was thatapplicants withdisabilities found locatingaccessible apartments orhomes within the

specified window of time difficult. “We began developing a list of accessibility

features in different apartments,” Leverett explained.“The Housing Authority started using our list, too.”Additionally, Disability Connections helps speed upthe Section 8 application process for its clients byproviding the Macon Housing Authority with birthcertificates and proof of income and/or SSI benefits.

Give Her Some CreditPeople with disabilities are subject to the same rulesas everyone else when it comes to loans. Consumer

Credit Counseling Services, a nonprofit company thatoffers free and confidential credit counseling inAtlanta, works with people to fix credit so they canbuy a home in the future.

“A mortgage is dictated on your ability to pay – it’s whatever your fixed income is – disability,supplemental security or help up front from a mom or a dad,” said Todd Mark, a spokesman for theorganization.

Credit has become a big question for somepeople considering homeownership as an option forthemselves or family members with disabilities.

For example, Bruce Lindemann of Atlanta recentlybegan considering home ownership as an option forhis 23-year-old daughter, Carla Lindemann, when she’sa little older. A member of the Governor’s Council onDevelopmental Disabilities, his curiosity was sparkedwhen he learned of the Georgia Department ofCommunity Affairs’ (DCA) Dream HomeownershipCHOICE (Consumer Home Ownership for Independence,Choice and Empowerment) loan program.

In addition to low interest rates on home loans,eligible applicants can qualify for $7,500 to $20,000,depending on the size of income, for help with downpayments, closing costs or insurance and taxes inescrow. (More information at dcaloans.com or 800-359-4663.)

If eligible, Lindemann’s daughter would haveaccess to low interest loans and some seed money for closing costs. But the more he considered thepossibilities, the more impossible it seemed. Even ifhis daughter qualified for the program, she has nocredit history. Would a bank give her a loan? Andwould his daughter still be eligible for the low-interestprogram if he and his wife get the loan instead?

According to Beth Spears from the DCA office of Home Ownership, the DCA will accept a co-signedbank loan from the applicant in certain circumstances.The co-signer could not take title to the property, andin most cases, even live on the property. That’sbecause the co-signer’s income level could possibly beabove the limit for eligible applicants.

Creative Housing SolutionsAlthough home ownership is an option for some, that doesn’t mean everyone needs to own a home tobe “free.”

“It doesn’t matter whether they rent or own thehome just as long as they have a say in their lives,”said Mary Kissel, interim director of Georgia Options,located in Northeast Georgia.


FEATURE

People with physical disabilities can easily enter the “visitable” clubhouse at East Lake Commons, a town home community in Decatur. Renovating a home to be visitable can cost thousands, but building one from scratch might cost just a few extra dollars for a wider doorframe and door.

“The savings to thefederal governmenthave been large, andthese people have agood quality of life.”

The 14-year old organization supports peoplewith disabilities so they can live in their own homes,enjoying typical life experiences.

“Georgia Options was a trailblazer [in Georgia]in figuring out how people could live on their own,”Kissel said.

After researching supported living by visitingagencies in other states and collaborating with a fewstate experts, Georgia Options opened its doors and wasable to serve its first clients, including Kissel’s son.

A man with cerebral palsy and several otherdisabilities, Eric Kissel moved into a rental home atthe age of 25. Mr. Kissel’s supplemental securityincome (SSI) covered part of the rent and utilities.Requiring around-the-clock care, he sub-leased abedroom to a live-in companion, which helped paythe remainder of the rent and utilities and providedhim with 24-hour support.

Financially, the living situation worked. However,the house wasn’t 100 percent accessible. Unable tofind other accessible rental homes in the area, thefamily considered renovating the bathroom for astaggering $8,000 – a steep investment on a homethey didn’t own. So they looked into homeownership. What they found was surprising. For lessthan the costs of the rental renovation, Mr. Kisselcould become a homeowner. Sohe did.

Because his credit historywas non-existent, Mr. Kissel’sparents co-signed the loan withhim. Acting as landlords, theypay taxes and keep up with the maintenance on the house.

Eventually, the live-in companion wanted ahome of his own. Still needing assistance with payingthe mortgage, Mr. Kissel found a roommate withsimilar disabilities who could benefit from theaccessible features of the house. According tosupport providers at Georgia Options, it is harder tofind live-in companions now than it has been in thepast, and finding a roommate who does not provideservices is a more likely scenario.

Owning his home has not affected Mr. Kissel’sability to receive supplementary income and MentalRetardation Waiver Program benefits, as SSI dependson income, not homeownership. His roommate paysrent directly to the mortgage company so that itdoesn’t increase his income.

Fourteen years later, Mr. Kissel is still living onhis own with 24-hour support. His mom admits thatthere were a few bumps in the road along the way tohomeownership, though.

“When we got to the closing, the attorneyrealized we were Eric’s legal guardians, but he didn’twant to move forward because we were entering into debt [under his name],” Mrs. Kissel said. “Thelawyer forced us to go through probate court and get approval.”

The family presented their case to the judge and were approved to enter into debt in their son’sname. The family also learned about the EstateRecovery Act. Under the law, the state collects theassets of a person who dies to recoup the costs ofMedicaid waivers and other forms of public assistancethey received while living. This has been an issue of consternation and public debate for years, but

Mrs. Kissel hasa different wayof looking at

the law. “We’re okay with this,” she said. “To us,that’s a wonderful reciprocal deal.”

The Kissels have also discussed how Mr. Kisselwill continue living autonomously after they die. Theyplan to set up a special needs trust for him that willinclude paying for house maintenance, taxes andinsurance. Ideally, the trust would be funded from athird of their assets when they die, the other twothirds benefiting their other children. They’re notplanning on going anywhere yet, though. Recently,they refinanced the house and realized it would bepaid off by the their 75th birthdays.

But, Mrs. Kissel pointed out, livingautonomously doesn’t necessarily mean owning ahome, it can mean renting as well. What’s importantis the ability for persons with disabilities to live inthe community.

See page 30 for resources on renting or owninga home, loan programs, nonprofit credit counselorsand supported living services in Georgia. l

www.gcdd.org 25

“It doesn’t matter whether they rentor own the home just as long as they

have a say in their lives.”

Eric Kissel haslived successfullyin his ownaccessible homefor over 13 years.

WELCOME HOME

Please share your thoughts about accessible

and affordable housing with GCDD by emailing

[email protected]

H ope Browning wanted her indepen-dence so badly that she was willing to move away from her family inDublin, Ga., to an apartment in Macon, 55 miles away.

Browning, who has paraplegia, moved to anursing home in 1996 after both her legs wereamputated. Because there are limited servicesavailable for people with disabilities in Dublin, sheended up living in the nursing home for nine years.

A social worker passed Browning’s name toDisability Connections, a center for independent livingin Macon, and Tina Hopper, a peer supporter, visitedher to discuss her needs.

“When they first mentioned moving to Macon, Ithought, ‘I’m not doing that!’ I finally came around tothe idea. If moving to Macon would get me out of thenursing home, I was going to Macon,” Browning said.

The process of moving into her own apartmenttook Browning about a year.

“Disability Connections came down to Dublin,picked me up and brought me to Macon to look forapartments,” she said.

The organization has worked with the MaconHousing Authority to better manage any Section 8housing assistance given to people with disabilities,according to Hopper. “We have a Memorandum ofUnderstanding to help people move out of nursinghomes quicker,” she explained.

Hopper said that sometimes housing becomesavailable before the person has other support servicesin place, or vice versa. The agreement betweenDisability Connections and the Macon HousingAuthority helps people move a little faster intohousing once their other services are put in place.

In addition, Disability Connections helpedBrowning apply for support assistance. As a result,

Browning receives cleaning, errands and groceryshopping support through SOURCE.

Browning admits she was a little nervous at firstabout living on her own again. “Coming to Macon onmy own, without any family here – that was thescariest thing for me, I think.”

Once she moved to Macon, the transition toindependent living was not always easy. Hopper saidthat at first, “Her Medicaid still showed she was livingin a nursing home, so she was unable to get SOURCECare Management services, which allow her help withcleaning house and personal needs. We got GeorgiaLegal Services involved, but it took a couple ofmonths to get resolved.”

Browning also reported some problems withMacon’s disability transit system. “The first time Iwent shopping, the van left me. I’m in Macon, don’tknow anyone, and they left me. Who do you call?Luckily someone came in that I knew. Things like thathave happened,” Browning revealed.

But despite some glitches, she is enjoying herlife more. “I have the freedom to go and come as Iplease. I’m in charge of myself; no one is makingdecisions for me. It’s all up to me now,” she said.

Hopper still checks in with Browning, whocelebrated her first year of freedom in October, aboutonce a month. “She had some hills to climb, but once(the Medicaid issue) was resolved, everything fell intoplace. She’s been doing really well.”

Now that Browning has adjusted to her new life,she’s ready to tackle additional challenges. “I wouldlike to get out more, meet more people. That’s some-thing I’ve got to work on. I’d like to do some volun-teer work or something of that nature,” she said. l

Woman LeavesNursing Home

After Nine YearsBy Valerie Smith Buxton

StraightTalk

“I have the freedom to go and come as I please.”

“”

COMING TOMaconON MY OWN,without ANYfamily here- that was theSCARIEST THING

for me...”

Brown enjoys cooking the food she loves in her own home.


L iving independently and the ability tobuild assets toward a secure future is afundamental part of the American dream.Homeownership creates stronger families,improves communities and increases

individual independence. Perhaps most importantly,owning your own home ensures that you have theopportunity to live in a neighborhood of your choice.For people with disabilities, homeownership can meanmore stability, self-determination and self-control ofone’s housing options.

While the process of navigating through thehomeownership process can be frustrating – even

intimidating at times – there aremany resources available to helpindividuals achieve the Americandream. The first step is to knowand understand your credit score.A FREE copy of your credit reportis available online atwww.annualcreditreport.com. This report does not include your

credit score, but that can be purchased separately fora nominal fee. Your credit score ranges between 300and 850. This score is calculated using 5 indicators:

• Payment History

• Accounts Owed

• Length Of Credit History

• New Credit

• Types of Credit in Use

The average credit score for Georgia residents is 668,while the national average is slightly higher at 677.There are a couple of things you can do to raise yourcredit score and to keep it high:

• Always pay your bills on time.

• Pay down the total amount that you owe.

• Keep credit cards that you have had a long time,but don’t open new accounts or accept higherlimits when you don’t need them.

If you are considering buying a home or makinganother major purchase, get copies of your creditreport at least six months prior to the purchase.There are three credit reporting agencies (Equifax,Experian and TransUnion). Be certain to review yourreports carefully for errors. If you find a mistake, youhave the right to challenge items on your creditreport – the credit bureaus have 30 days to reviewyour request and to decide whether that item shouldbe removed. Keep in mind, however, that once youcorrect an error on one report, you will have to dothe same on the other two.

For consumers who have never had credit in theirown name, it may be difficult to get a loan with anaffordable rate. However, there are a few things youcan do to build a good credit history:

• Demonstrate financial responsibility – one way todo this is by opening a checking account (if youdon’t already have one) and be careful not tooverdraw or bounce checks; also, if you rent anapartment, make sure you pay your rent andutilities in full and on time.

• Get a specific kind of credit card – some creditcards are easy to obtain even without establishedcredit (for example, a gas card); apply for oneand pay off the balance each month; if you areunable to obtain a credit card on your own, finda qualified (and trustworthy) co-signer.

• Maintain a stable lifestyle – some creditorsconsider other factors when determining yourcredit worthiness, including how often you moveor change jobs; the more changes you havemade, the greater a financial risk you are.

While there are many financial barriers tohomeownership, careful preparation and thecollaborative efforts of individuals withdisabilities, lenders and service providers canhelp to overcome these obstacles –homeownership is a real choice for individualswith disabilities. l

HOMEOWNERSHIP: Creating Independent LivingOpportunities for Individuals with DisabilitiesBy Jacqueline Wilks-Weathers

EXPERT UPDATE

Jacqueline Wilks–Weatherscurrently serves as thedirector of Credit-Able,Georgia’s AlternativeFinancing Program forAssistive Technology. Credit-Able works collaborativelywith the Georgia Departmentof Labor, Georgia creditunions and disability serviceorganizations to giveindividuals with disabilitiesaccess to affordable financialproducts and services. Wilks-Weathers holds a Master ofPublic Administration fromNew Mexico State Universitywith a concentration in publicpolicy as well as Bachelorsdegrees in Sociology andReligion from Wofford Collegein Spartanburg, SC. She hasworked in the nonprofit sectorfor 11 years with anemphasis on programmanagement and resourcedevelopment.

“...homeownership is a real choice for individuals with disabilities.”

1The first stepis to know andunderstandyour credit score.

27

A few weeks ago, some of our colleagues cameto the Governor’s Council on DevelopmentalDisabilities office to present the Planning

Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH) for Georgia,a comprehensive schema for the development ofquality of life in the community for people withdevelopmental disabilities they developed at theInternational Inclusion Conference in Toronto. ThePATH, titled “Everyday People” is a beautiful pictorialnarrative of the ideal continuum of services andsupports from birth to death, through earlyintervention, schooling, transition to the community,work and recreation, worship and participation.

I have to admit I was less than enthusiastic, not because of the design, which was wonderful andaffirming, or the commitment of the presenters to thewhole vision. I was skeptical because no vision canbe realized without resources to develop the capacityin the community to support people with develop-mental disabilities as they live, work and play.

At 22, Mia is working 20 hours a week in aprofessional setting that provides her with the social network, compensation and purpose thatdevelopmental disability experts say is key to any

person’s life. She volunteers in Sundayschool and attends Saturday camp withpeople her age. She goes to Curves. Shehas a cell phone with job coaches andfriends on speed dial. She arranges herown transportation.

When you ask her what’s next, shesays she wants her own apartment. Atthe GCDD quarterly meeting, wherehousing experts shared the optionsavailable to people with disabilities, Miaraised her hand and stated her goals –to have her own apartment, with herown refrigerator and food, her own bed

and desk, computer and TV, and, this she said withgreat emphasis and determination, “my own keys.”

I fully support the idea of Mia living in her ownapartment. But the reality for any parent, even witha visionary PATH, is this: supporting Mia safely inthe community is the equivalent of paying privatecollege tuition for one of my typical children, everyyear, for the rest of her life. How will we managethis? Here’s another reality. The waiting list inGeorgia is 6,500 people long, and grows by 1,100each year. The Department of Human Resources,without the governor’s added support, will be able toadd only 170 waiver services this year. Mia has a daysupport waiver that covers her job coach andcommunity integration activities, but she remains onthe list for residential and personal support. We area low risk family, so it’ll be awhile before Mia’s needrises above another’s. I am also very conflictedabout our needs. I don’t want to depend on thestate. We work hard, and we’ve taken care of Miawithout much help; in fact, for her first 12 years,the only service we received was one year in EarlyIntervention before we opted, at considerablesacrifice, to put her in a Montessori program so shecould be educated with typical kids in a languagerich environment. But I’ll trade: in exchange for

some modest assistance to help Mia liveindependently, she’ll continue to go to work,volunteer, worship, contribute. My husband and Iwill stay in the taxpaying citizenry. We’ll educate ourother children, who will also become taxpayers. Wewill all contribute.

There will be no PATH for Georgia without thepurposeful allocation of resources, over severalyears, to develop capacity in the community. Thegreat minds have shared their expertise; we all getit, we can plan and plan again, have forums anddiscussions and retreats, and visions and memos ofthe visions, but without the legislature, and the“everyday” citizens in every Georgia communitybelieving that the Mias of this state can live, workand play as “everyday people,” AND that we will allbe the richer for it, then all we have is a nicepicture for the office wall. l

MIA’S SPACE

“Everyday People” require Community Capacity


While we are generally optimistic about thefuture, as parents, we have to wonder,

“What will really happen?”

By Patricia Nobbie, D.P.A, Mia’s Mom

“When you ask her what’s next, shesays she wants her own apartment.”

www.gcdd.org 29

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARYJanuary 18-19Governor’s Council onDevelopmental DisabilitiesQuarterly Council Meeting Atlanta, GA • 888-ASK-GCDD www.gcdd.org

January 24-27ATIA 2007Orlando, FL • 877-687-2842www.atia.org

FEBRUARYFebruary 1-3TRLD, Technology, Reading& Learning DiversitySan Francisco, CA • 800-999-4660www.trld.com

February 22Disability Day at the Capitol404-657-2126 • 888-ASK-GCDDwww.gcdd.org

February 22-257th National RehabilitationEducators ConferenceSan Diego, CA • 618-549-3267www.rehabeducators.org

MARCHMarch 4-6New Congress, NewOpportunities DisabilitySeminarWashington, DC • www.nacdd.org

March 8-1023rd International Seating SymposiumOrlando, FL • 412-383-6602www.iss.pitt.edu

March 12-14The 23rd Annual Pacific Rim Conference on DisabilitiesHonolulu, HI • 808-956-7539www.pacrim.hawaii.edu

March 19-2422nd Annual InternationalTechnology and Personswith Disabilities Conference(CSUN)Los Angeles, CA818-677-2578www.csun.edu/cod/conf

March 23-25American Foundation for the Blind2007 Josephine L. TaylorLeadership InstituteDallas, TXwww.afb.org/jltli.asp

APRILApril 7+9 other dates and cities

American Sign LanguageExpo 2007Indianapolis, INwww.aslexpo.com

April 13-14ASA Greater Georgia Chapter2007 Annual Autism ConferenceDuluth, GA770-451-0954www.asaga.com

April 19-20Governor’s Council onDevelopmental DisabilitiesQuarterly Meeting & Public ForumWaycross, GA404-657-2126888-ASK-GCDDwww.gcdd.org

April 28 - May 3ADAPT Spring ActionWashington, DCwww.adapt.org

Susie races to move into her new home by the waiver service deadline.


RESOURCES

pg. 9 pg.18 pg. 22pg. 14

Below, please find furtherresources of informationrelated to the articles inthis edition of Making aDifference magazine.

Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD)www.gcdd.org 404-657-2126 or 888-275-4233 (ASK-GCDD)

State GovernmentDepartment of Community AffairsGeorgia Housing Searchwww.georgiahousingsearch.org877-428-8844

Department of Community Healthwww.dch.state.ga.us/404-656-4507

Department of Human Resourceswww.dhr.georgia.gov404-656-4937

Department of Laborwww.dol.state.ga.us

General Informationwww.georgia.gov

Georgia General Assemblywww.legis.state.ga.us/

Georgia House ofRepresentativeswww.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/house/index.htm

Georgia Senatewww.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/senate/index.htm

Georgia Governor’s Officewww.gov.state.ga.us/404-656-1776

Georgia Lieutenant Governor’s Officewww.ltgov.georgia.gov/02/ltgov/home/0,2214,2199618,00.html404-656-5030

Organizing InstituteProject Southwww.projectsouth.org404-622-0602

Lookout MountainCommunity Serviceswww.lmcs.org706-638-5580

Brain and Spinal InjuryTrust Fundhttp://www.ciclt.net/bsitf/888-233-5760404-651-5112

disABILITY LINKwww.disabilitylink.org404-687-8890 404-687-9175 (TTY)800-239-2507 (Voice/TTY)

Disability Connectionswww.disabilityconnections.com478-741-1425 (Voice / TTY)800-743-2117 (Voice / TTY)

Advocacy TrainingGeorgia Advocacy Officewww.thegao.org404-885-1234

People First of Georgiawww.disabilitylink.org/docs/people.html404 687-8890

Disability RightsHistory TourADAwww.adawatch.org/roadtofreedom.htm

Atlanta Public Librarywww.af.public.lib.ga.us404-730-1700

Shepherd Centerwww.shepherd.org404-352-2020

Georgia Voices that CountLinda Pogue“Georgia Voices that Count” [email protected] x114

Accessible MoneyAmerican Council of the Blind www.acb.org202-467-5081

HousingConsumer Credit Counseling Services www.cccsatlanta.org1-800-251-CCCS (2227)

Credit Ablewww.credit-able.org(800) 239-2507

Georgia Department of Community AffairsGeorgia DreamHomeownership/CHOICEwww.dcaloans.com800-359-4663

Georgia Department ofCommunity AffairsGeorgia Housing Searchwww.georgiahousingsearch.org1-877-428-8844

Rental Access Networkwww.rentalaccessnetwork.org

Georgia Optionsgeorgiaoptions.org706-546-0009

Habitat for Humanitywww.habitat.org

Macon Housing Authoritywww.cityofmacon.net

pg. 14 pg. 22pg. 9

Disability Day at the Capitol 2007Mark Your Calendar…Thursday, February 22, 2007

Visit www.gcdd.org or call (888) ASK-GCDD

this fall for eventdetails...

RSVP required to attendbreakfast or lunch.

• Rally on the Capitol steps tocelebrate community, advocacy and friendship.

• Enjoy breakfast or lunch withadvocates from across Georgia.

• Show legislators WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

www.gcdd.org 31

SUPPORTING THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY

Albany ARC, serving our community

since 1963, promotes the general welfare of people withdisabilities and fosters

the development of programs on their behalf.

(229) 888-6852(24-hour on-call)

www.albanyarc.org

Albany AdvocacyResource Center

If you are interested in being a sponsor for

Making a Difference magazine,please call

Christina Rosell @ 770-578-9765

Thanks toOUR SPONSORSfor their Support.

770-394-9791www.childrens-services.com

“Complete developmental occupational therapy for children –

toddlers through teens.”

Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities2 Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 26-246Atlanta, GA 30303-3142404-657-2126, www.gcdd.org

Address Service Requested

The quarterly magazine of the GeorgiaGovernor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities

Volume 7, Issue 3 • Winter 2007

GEORGIA GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Real Homes. Real Careers. Real Learning. Real Influence. Real Supports.

FEBRUARY 22, 2007 RALLY BEGINS AT 11 AM ON THE CAPITOL STEPS

Make It Real at the Capitol On Disability Day!Join hundreds of disability advocates from across the state to make your voices heard.

Make an appointment with your legislators to educate them about disability issues.

Share breakfast or lunch with other advocates and legislators.

For more information, look inside this issue, visit www.gcdd.org or call 888-ASK-GCDD.

Documents

Making a Difference Magazine || Winter 2007