Advocacy and Civic Engagement
Purpose of the Program
We aim to impact systems and policy change that create inclusive communities where the whole of a person’s intersectional identity can be seen and celebrated. We do this by providing culturally and linguistically diverse individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities and their families with resources, trainings, and a safe space to develop and express their stories, while being supported on paths to advocate for the change they believe in.
2021 Legislative Priorities
- Special Education: An educational system that celebrates the cultures and identities of Black, Indigenous, Students of Color with Disabilities and enables them to realize their full potential. Focus on combating the school to prison pipeline. For more info: Investing in Student Potential Coalition
- Educational Language Access: All families have access to qualified interpreters and high-quality translations to meaningfully engage in their children’s education. For more info: Language Access Workgroup Report. Hear directly from families and read out 2021 Family Feedback Report on Language Access.
- Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA): Protection of the DDA Budget with the acknowledgment that cuts will disproportionately hurt communities of color. For more info: Developmental Disabilities Council #CutsCauseCrisis
Program Activities and Services
- Launching Family Leadership Training in February 2021
- Launching Self-Advocate Leadership Training and Council in 2022
- Service on multiple committees to represent ODMF self-advocate and family experiences, including: state Special Education Advisory Council, Investing in Student Potential Steering Committee, Developmental Disabilities Ombuds Advisory Committee, Developmental Disabilities Council.
- Connect self-advocates and families to policy-makers
Languages Spoken by Team: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Punjabi, Japanese, Vietnamese
Finding your Policymakers
Thank you to our Funders!
