Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities

inclusion. integration. independence.

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Join us in raising awareness about the importance of inclusive communities and acceptance for people with disabilities.  

This year the Arkansas Council’s theme is “Get to know me”.

People with disabilities are people, first and foremost, and want to be treated just like everyone else. There is no need to be nervous around people with disabilities. If you are not sure how to act, just say hello and ask. Get to know the person, not the disability! Treating others with respect is a great place to start! Speak directly to the person, not to their caregiver. Don’t lean on wheelchairs or other assistive equipment. Presume competence, or that the person can do things on their own, unless they ask for help or support. These are a few ways to respectfully interact with a person who has disabilities. You can view our video on this subject on our YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOCiGquLp3E 

Join us in highlighting the many ways in which people with and without disabilities come together to form stronger, more diverse communities. We encourage people with and without disabilities to share their stories about living their lives, side by side. Together, we can do more to sustain the inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in all areas of community life. We are united in fostering an inclusive culture across Arkansas, because inclusion benefits everyone, enriching the lives of individuals with and without disabilities alike. During this month, we want people to share their stories, photos, and resources far and wide to expand the conversation on community inclusion.

Arkansas Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM) 2020 Schedule of Events:

March 3-5:  Arkansas APSE Conference at the Holiday Inn Airport Conference Center, Little Rock

March 6:  GCDDAR Vice-Chair, Lud Kozlowski, speaks at the 3rd Annual Be Your Own Beautiful Gala, Jonesboro, 6pm

March 10:  Community of Champions Pie Day at the Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock, 10am-1pm (A day of legislative advocacy)

March 11:  DDAM 2020 Proclamation event at the Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock, 10:30am

March 12:  GCDD Quarterly Meeting and Tour of UAPTC Programs at Pulaski Technical College – South Campus, 13000 Interstate 30, Little Rock, 10am-3:30pm QUARTERLY MEETING TOOK PLACE ONLINE AND TOUR OF PTC WAS POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE.

March 16:  GCDD Arkansas announces a Request for Proposals for funding of up to $500,000 available to applicants for projects that will advance the implementation of its 5-year plan.

THE REMAINDER OF MARCH DD AWARENESS 2020 ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED AND MAY BE RESCHEDULED FOR A LATER DATE. Due to an abundance of caution in response to the developing public health crisis related to coronavirus, or COVID-19, the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities is taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus. 

FIND RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS HERE

History of DDAM
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public proclamation that the month of March should be recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to “increase public awareness of the needs and potential of Americans with developmental disabilities.” Though our mission remains largely the same, so much has changed since 1987. While we still aim to increase public awareness, our focus has shifted to the importance of inclusion and acceptance.

Please contact the GCDD staff by emailing [email protected] with info on events, stories, photos, and resources you want to share. Together we can do more to make DDAM Arkansas 2020 a success!

On social media search for and use the hashtag #DDawareness2020

Resources are available at https://nacdd.org/ddam/ and on the GCDDAR website https://gcdd.arkansas.gov/

The national campaign is a partnership between AUCD, NACDD and NDRN:
AUCD – The Association of University Centers on Disabilities https://www.aucd.org/template/index.cfm
NACDD – The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities https://nacdd.org/
NDRN – The National Disability Rights Network http://www.ndrn.org/index.php