Accessible Audio for Making A Difference

Hello advocates! We’re back with another federal update on critical funding for the disability community. In our previous articles, we’ve worked hard to give you all the essential information about how proposed federal budget cuts could affect people with disabilities. In this update, we will also cover new information from the Governor’s Office asking state agencies not to request increased fundi...

Hi, my name is Ben Oxley and I’m from McDonough, Georgia. When I was a kid, McDonough was a quiet little town, just 20 minutes south of the hustle and bustle of Atlanta. Older people and the generation of folks like me only knew it as a quiet little town where everyone knew everyone. You would find out about local news, like the opening of a new grocery store, just by talking with a friend at your...

The disability rights movement lost one of its visionary leaders when John O'Brien passed away on June 27, 2025. For decades, O'Brien and his wife Connie Lyle O'Brien championed a simple belief: that every person deserves to be fully included in community life. His groundbreaking work changed how we think about disability. It moved goals beyond basic accommodations to pursue full co...

The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) thanks Georgia families and self-advocates for their hard work. You used your voices to speak for other Georgians during a big federal budget debate. House Resolution 1 (HR1) passed. It is also called the Big Beautiful Bill. This article gives you a brief overview of the bill. Its focus is on Medicaid and how it affects Georgia's commun...

There is a bridge my daughter crawled across as a baby. It is a playground bridge. Back then, I wanted her to play like a big kid. So I would help her crawl across. Now as I am writing this, she is walking across it in a few steps. She is a tween enjoying the summer days. This year I especially need these sweet, warm evenings. They bring me peace.  No matter how you feel about this presidential ad...

My name is Natasha Nelson, and I was born in 1989 as the oldest of seven children to Ruby Miller, a single mother living in Rome, Georgia. In kindergarten, I was evaluated and put in the gifted and talented program. But my childhood was a confusing, scary, and lonely time.  The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is driven by its Five Year Strategic Plan goals to improve services...

When it comes to inclusive education in Georgia, the Georgia Coalition for Equity and Education (GCEE) is changing how families advocate for children with disabilities in schools. This organization is making sure their voices are heard.  Led by longtime disability rights attorney Leslie Lipson, founder of Lipson Advocacy, GCEE was launched in 2015. The launch came in the wake of a major civil righ...

Session is out and we are in the middle of summer, but the perfect time to advocate is now. We’ve experienced many changes over the past few months. These include funding shifts at the federal level to key developments within the Department of Education. Now is the time to speak up for what matters most. Speak up for both federal and state issues. Georgia has started talking about how to handle th...

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by former President George H. W. Bush This law created civil rights legislation that expanded the rights of people with disabilities. For millions of Americans with disabilities, the 35th anniversary of the ADA is a time to celebrate. It is also a time to think about how people with disabilities worked together to get...

For many people with disabilities, finding independence, purpose, and a full life in the community can be a daily challenge. Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are community-based, non-residential organizations who help people who want to overcome these challenges. CILs are run by people with disabilities.  Their philosophy is to support the goals of people with disabilities to live independent...

The "Embracing Possibility: Georgia's Disability Justice Journey" exhibit opened this May at the Tubman Museum in Macon, GA. The opening celebration celebrated the exhibit's goal to change how people think about people with disabilities and honor the work that people with disabilities have done throughout Georgia's history. The opening welcomed hundreds of people from acro...

As we reach the midpoint of 2025, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) continues to track federal policies that may significantly impact Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Over the past few weeks, critical discussions have been unfolding in Washington, D.C. These talks could change Medicaid and the future of the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Ne...

Guardianship isn't always the answer. Supported Decision Making is an alternative to guardianship. Some people with disabilities might need limited guardianship or conservatorship. But many people with disabilities don't need it. There are often better ways to get support. My son was put under guardianship. This affected our whole family. Looking back, we didn't need guardianship at...

By Evan Nodvin - For the past 12 years, I’ve been proud to serve as a council member for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). Looking back now, I realize just how much I have grown, and how much the council has grown too. I want to share a little bit about what it meant to me. The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is driven by its Five Year Strategic Plan go...

Every July, the United States celebrates Disability Pride Month. This month is a time for people with disabilities to feel proud of who they are, speak up about their rights, and celebrate being seen and heard in their communities. It is also a time to celebrate the history, strength, and experiences of people with disabilities. The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is driven by...

As federal lawmakers debate sweeping budget cuts, Georgia’s disability advocacy leaders are working hard to get critical information to our community. What is at stake: the future of Medicaid including vital community-based services, and the network of organizations that have fueled decades of progress for people with developmental disabilities, including GCDD. The Georgia Council on Developmental...

Brook Kubik, a council member for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, went to the 2025 Disability Seminar in Washington, D.C. She returned to Georgia with more than policy updates – she came back with a new understanding of the strength of relationships, the importance of advocating with heart and facts, and the power of telling stories that help people connect. The Georgia Council...

The Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network is a group of organizations that work together to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities. This network was created by a law passed in 2000 to protect the rights of people with developmental disabilities. It is overseen by a federal agency called the Administration for Community Living. In Georgia, this includes: Georgia Council on De...

The Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network is a group of organizations working together to improve services and supports for people with DD in every state. This network is authorized under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) with oversight from the Administration for Community Living (ACL). The DD Network is made up of three partners: State Councils o...

My Time on the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities Hi, my name is Dorothy Harris, and I am from Fitzgerald, Georgia. I have served as a Council Member for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) off and on since 2015. I’m rolling off again now, and I’ll be honest, it feels emotional. This council has been a big part of my life. I came back to serve again on purpose. I kn...

Berry College, located in Rome, Georgia, launched the Berry College Program for Inclusive Learning the Fall semester in 2024—the first inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) program offered by a private university in Georgia. This program opens new doors for students with intellectual disabilities by providing meaningful academic, social, and career development opportunities beyond high school....

The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is in the final phases of gathering input for its 2027-2031 Five-Year Strategic Plan. Information gathered from stakeholders across the state will help GCDD form a strategic plan to create systems change for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. The final plan will guide projects that help th...

For many Americans with disabilities, Medicaid is more than just a healthcare program—it's the foundation for a life of independence, stability, and hope. Carla Geeslin, a self-advocate in Macon, GA, relies on Medicaid services and recently shared her story and the critical role this support plays in her life and the lives of countless others.  “Life’s been good,” Carla said. “I get to see a...

President Donald Trump signed an executive order March 20, 2025 titled Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities. The order seeks to advance a goal previously promised by the president: to close the Department of Education (ED) and give state education departments authority over education standards. The closure of the ED raises questions for students with developm...

The Advancing Employment Training and Technical Assistance Center at the  University of Georgia's Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD) is a long-running initiative of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). It is making major strides in creating more integrated workplaces for people with disabilities across the state. Now entering its seventh year, the initia...