Happy Development Disabilities Awareness Month!

Artwork by artist Eileen Schofield

In 1987, Ronald Reagan issued a public proclamation urging Americans to provide individuals with developmental disabilities “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”

Each March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), the Association for University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), the National Disabilities Rights Network (NDRN), and others work together in a campaign that seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all areas of community life, as well as awareness to the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in the communities in which they live.

This is a great way to help change the way the world defines and views disability in order to:

• Raise awareness and encourage dialogue about what it means to have a disability
• Dispel stereotypes and help others understand disability
• Break down barriers and create opportunities for people with disabilities

NACDD is encouraging the public to share stories, photos, videos, and resources about topics such as education, employment and community living on social media throughout the month of March – using the hashtag #DDawareness2021. The NACDD wants to showcase the work being done to celebrate and improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities.

More about the featured artwork for this year’s #DDawareness2021 campaign: Art Enables is a nonprofit organization that helps artists with disabilities create and sell their artwork, such as the artwork pictured above. With only 20% of people with disabilities in the workforce, this program helps contribute to that by providing a studio for people with disabilities to make art, as well as career and vocational training to market and sell their artwork. These artists are able to socialize, express themselves creatively, and earn income to increase their independence and build careers.

Take a look at what the program provides for the IDD community!

https://art-enables.org/about/programs/

Hear some testimonies from artists and staff that work at Art Enables.

https://youtu.be/_vSvWRMzSz4

Meet the artists and check out their artwork!

https://art-enables.org/artists/

What is International Epilepsy Day?

Started in 2015 and organized by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the day provides a platform for people with epilepsy to share their experiences and stories with a global audience. The day also calls for all people to advocate for appropriate legislation that will guarantee human rights of people with epilepsy and encourages people with epilepsy to live to their fullest potential.

https://www.epilepsy.com/make-difference/public-awareness/international-epilepsy-day

Did you know:

• 65 million people around the world live w/ epilepsy
• 3.4+ million people in the U.S. live w/ epilepsy
• 1 in 26 people in the U.S. will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime
• 4 to 10 out of 1,000 people on earth live w/ active seizures at any one time
• 150,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed in the U.S. each year
• One-third of people w/ epilepsy live w/ uncontrollable seizures because no available treatment works for the
• For 6 out of 10 people w/ epilepsy the cause is unknown
• 4 out of 10 people w/ epilepsy in the industrialized world do not receive appropriate treatment
• 8 out of 10 people w/ epilepsy in developing nations do not receive appropriate treatment

Please find attached flyers on Seizure First Aid in English, Spanish, and Tagalog.

Hello and Happy New Year NBRC Community,

We have scheduled the first of the 2021 Orientations to NBRC in English and Spanish, which are open to current and new clients, their loved ones, and community partners and vendors are always welcome.

We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have as we go through the Eligibility and Intake Process, Early Start (0-3) and Lanterman (3+) Services, Role of the Service Coordinator, Regional Center Services and Providers, Transition Planning, What to Expect from NBRC, and more. You can find the flyer with the Zoom link here in English and Spanish.

See you there!

Hello Stakeholders:

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) invites you to complete this self-advocate/family member survey to help us understand how COVID-19 has impacted our community and changed your services.  DDS, regional centers, and service providers are working on new ways to safely support you. Completing this survey will identify what’s working, what’s not, and what is important to self-advocates and families.

The survey below includes fifteen questions and is available in 10 languages. DDS will share the combined information from all responses on its website. Individual responses will not be shared. Thank you for your time and for sharing your experience. Your voice matters.

 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020

Once you click on the survey link above, you have the option in the top right corner of the page to select alternative languages from a drop-down menu where it says “English.”

Or you can also access the alternative language directly through the links below:

Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=es

Arabic: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=ar

Armenian: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=hy

Chinese (Simplified): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=zh_Hans

Chinese (Traditional): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=zh_Hant

Korean: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=ko

Persian: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=fa

Tagalog: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=tl

Vietnamese: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilySurveyYr2020?lang=vi

The QR code below will also take you to the survey when scanned with your smart phone’s camera.

Each person (computer or smartphone) can only complete the survey once, so if you have more than one family member receiving regional center services, your response should reflect your overall experience(s). This survey will be available online through December 18, 2020.

DDS serves over 350,000 people and we’d like to get survey responses from as many individuals and/or families as possible.  This is the first time DDS is conducting a survey of this scale and we would very much appreciate your assistance getting the word out to your personal and professional networks.

Questions? Email FamilyInput@dds.ca.gov.

–The Department of Developmental Services

Your Voice 

Your Participation

Your Vote Matters

~~~

Tu Voz

Tu participación

Tu Voto Importa

(photo used with permission by this first-time voter!)