Georgia Voices That Count:

1
Georgia Voices That Count

• Seven Years of Advocacy
• Training and Support

2
Introduction

• Advocacy project
• Quarterly meetings
• Curriculum
• Support the disability community
• Political awareness

3
Activities of GVTC

• Provides advocacy training
• Fosters peer support
• Shares resources
• Communicates historical context

4
Activities (Continued)

• Promotes self-advocacy and self-determination
• Emphasizes lifelong commitment
• Supports personal growth and achievement
• Creates leaders and activists
• Strengthens community

5
What Makes GVTC Unique?

• Only for people with disabilities
• 80 taught by people with disabilities
• Cross-disability
• Collaboration of disability organizations

6
What Makes GVTC Unique? (cont.)

• Training with support
• Individualized experience
• Experiential training
• Addresses disparities
• Challenges the disability hierarchy

7
Conferences and Curriculum

• History of Self-Advocacy
• Held in Atlanta
• Tour the MLK Center
• Make connection between Civil Rights Movement and
  the Disability Rights Movement

8
Conferences and Curriculum

• Advocating for Community Living
• Held in Athens
• Learn about the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Learn about the Olmstead Decision
• Learn about supports and barriers to community
  living

9
Conferences and Curriculum

• Advocating for Employment
• Held in Warm Springs
• Tour the Little White House
• Consider why Roosevelt hid his disability
• Examine the supports and barriers regarding
  employment

10
Conferences and Curriculum

• Leadership
• Held in Atlanta
• Coincides with participation in Disability Day at
  the State Capitol
• Consider the attributes of good leadership
• Graduation

11
Circles of Support

• David to help deal with serious illness
• Sheila to help plan move back into community

• Tommy to help publish book
• Annette to help move from nursing facility

12
Participants Achievements

• Joy Norman
• Class GVTC 4
• Advocacy Project create job fair for people with
  disabilities
• Current activities
• Works with Mayors Committee for Persons With
  Disabilities for annual job fair
• Now on Statewide Independent Living Council
• Working to develop Center for Independent Living
  in Columbus area
• Provides support to many individuals and causes
• Quote Im a voice to be reckoned with.

13
Participants Achievements

• Margo Waters
• Class GVTC 2
• Advocacy Project organize curb cuts
• Current activities
• Testified at State Capitol regarding the
  Independent Care Waiver Program
• Helped create legislation for the Visitability
  Campaign
• Testified at city council regarding pedestrian
  accessibility
• Now employed at disABILITY LINK and supporting
  many persons with disabilities and important
  issues
• Quote Voices has empowered me to speak up
  whenever, where ever necessary.

14
Participants Achievements

• Ryan Mercer
• Class GVTC 6
• Advocacy Project create a website featuring
  resources for young people with disabilities
• http//ryansresources.homestead.com/
• Current activities
• Continues to update site
• Featured in Sept. 08 AJC article
• Member of People First of Atlanta
• Working on his own plans for independence
• Quote They taught me how to stand up for
  myself.

15
Participants Achievements

• Betty Hasan-Amin
• Class GVTC 6
• Advocacy Project create and distribute a
  brochure of resources relevant to people new to
  independent living
• Current activities
• Board member of the Interfaith Disability
  Connection
• Current Organizing Institute participant working
  to connect disability and refugee communities
• Active in transportation advocacy
• Quote We are strong.

16
Participants Achievements

• Whitney Walker
• Class GVTC 1
• Advocacy Project Letter writing campaign for
  full implementation of the Olmstead Decision
• Current activities
• Continues to write actively
• Attended Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered 2008
• Member of People First of Atlanta
• Quote Georgia Voices That Count helps a lot of
  people help a lot of people.

17
Participants Achievements

• Barbaraann Bongiovanni
• Class GVTC 4
• Advocacy Project
• successfully advocated for accessible sidewalks,
  crosswalks and curb cuts in her community
• Current Activities
• Appointed board member of the Georgia Independent
  Living Network Meeting and disABILITY LINK
• developed summer camp for teenagers with
  disabilities to learn about self advocacy and
  self determination as part of The Organizing
  Institute
• Certified Peer Supporter through The Georgia Peer
  Support project and actively provides peer
  support
• Volunteers in local and statewide organizations
  for people with and without disabilities
• Quote "I am truly a Georgia Voice that Counts!"

18
Participants Achievements

• Percy Hardy
• Class GVTC 5
• Advocacy Project Become a peer supporter
• Current Activities
• Is now a Certified Peer Supporter
• Recognizes that his experiences, though difficult
  at times, has provided him the unique ability to
  offer support to other people with disabilities
• People First board member and active in
  disability community events
• Overcame his fear of public speaking!
• Quote "I am now confident I have something to
  offer!"

19
Participants Achievements

• Dawn Alford
• Class GVTC 4
• Advocacy Project a student at Georgia Tech and
  working on campus accessibility issues
• Current Activities
• Appointed Ex Officio member of the Governor's
  Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Regularly testifies at the State Capitol
  regarding services for people with disabilities
• Undertakes speaking engagements on a variety of
  disability related topics including service dogs
• Working towards full accessibility in her worship
  community
• Quote Everyone can be a leader!

20
Outcomes of GVTC

• GVTC has produced positive personal growth and
  clear progress in participants1
• Promotes ethnic, gender, and geographical
  diversity in advocacy training2
• Essential to positively influence public
  policies that enhance the quality of life for
  people withdisabilities and their families.3
• Produced community leaders with direct impact on
  legislative and other decision making bodies.

1 Values in Action Outcomes Impact of GCDD
Programs, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
at Georgia State University. April 2008. p.45 2
Ibid., p 41 3 Ibid., p 45
21
Conclusion

• Creates Self-Advocacy
• Enhances existing skills
• Builds confidence
• Cultivates self-direction
• Creates Leadership
• Promotes perseverance
• Fosters mentorship
• Enhances public speaking skills
• Creates Community
• Projects have direct social impact
• Strengthens disability community
• Encourages inclusion and diversity