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In This Issue:
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- Future is Now Conference
- In The Limelight
- Individual & Family Support
- Advocacy & Education
- Upcoming Events
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In the Limelight
Rosalyn Morris 
Rosalyn Morris, a volunteer with AADD's Development Department, understands first-hand what some of our participants experience. Growing up, she remembers "getting a whipping" due to her behavioral problems. "I couldn't understand why I was different than everyone else," Rosalyn recalls, "the other kids could run and play and climb trees. I wanted to do those things, too, but couldn't. So I acted out because I was upset." "In high school, my classmates bullied me. I didn't understand why people were so cruel to me just because I walked differently," says the 27-year-old Lithonia resident alluding to her cerebral palsy. "I remember my mom had to come to school because my classmates would torment me so much that I couldn't do my work. I guess they didn't understand why I was different." Despite the torment, Rosalyn didn't let the bullies get her down. She saw the silver lining in the cruelty of her classmates. "Looking back, all of the bullying and tormenting I endured as a child has made me a stronger person today- it has given me tougher skin and made me an advocate for others," she says. She is looking to start a career as a social worker soon because she wants "to be an advocate for people with disabilities." Part of that advocacy is helping others find their voice. "I've started eating healthy and working out more. I want to become a fitness model so that people can see what is possible for people with disabilities. I also want to do a self-esteem series on YouTube. A lot of women with disabilities have self-esteem issues and I want to help with that," says the self-proclaimed book nerd. One message in particular she wants everyone living with a disability to know is: "Be confident. If you are confident in yourself, others will be confident in you." Rosalyn graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work. She volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday, assisting the development department with numerous organization projects and bringing creative ideas to AADD's social media platforms. She recently introduced Mythbuster Mondays on Facebook and she will serve as one of the Organization's guest bloggers on our blogspot, providing a fresh perspective on what it is like to be a 27-year-old woman living with cerebral palsy. |
Upcoming Events
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Future Is Now Conference
April 13, 2012
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
King & Spalding
1180 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
AADD and the Georgia Division of Aging are sponsoring a one-day conference focused on planning for the future of adults with developmental disabilities. The program is for caregivers and professionals and will cover the topics of guardianship, conservatorship, health care directives, special needs trusts, housing, employment and other support options. You can view the program here. The cost for the conference is $25. To register, please click here.
If you would like to view or print the flyer, click here. For more information, contact Riki Bolster.
Future Is Now Family Classes
April 24, May 8 & 22,
June 5 & 19, 2012
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
AADD
125 Clairemont Avenue Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30030
Join us for a FREE training program focused on planning for the future of adults with developmental disabilities. Caregivers and adults with developmental disabilities will plan together in five sessions.
The training program is limited to 10 families and we strongly encourage participation in the Future is Now conference on April 13th as preparation.
To register, or for more information, contact Riki Bolster.
Mother's Day Tea & Luncheon
May 15, 2012
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
AADD
125 Clairemont Avenue Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30030
Did you know that in Georgia, a mother living with a developmental disability can lose custody of her children for that reason alone? AADD takes a strong stand in keeping families together. We advocate for many mothers who are at risk of losing their children, and find ourselves fighting to reunite mothers with their families. Mother's Day is an especially celebratory occasion for us each year.
Our annual Mother's Day Tea & Luncheon is an opportunity for us to honor every mother, especially those living with developmental disabilities. AADD invites all mothers- participants, advocates and community leaders- to take part in this great opportunity to celebrate motherhood. No matter the differences, we can find common ground in that we all love our children unconditionally.
Volunteers are needed to help with preparing and serving food, decorations and planning activities for the tea. If you would like to assist, please contact Suzie Fatkin at (404) 809-2911.
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The Future is Now!
Future - a condition, especially of success or failure, to come. That definition itself might not be frightening, but when you realize the future is now, it can become so. This important realization titles the one-day conference which will be held on April 13th, and hosted by AADD and the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC). The "Future is Now" conference focuses on the tools families and individuals with disabilities need in order to plan for their family's future. Crucial issues of guardianship, conservatorship, health care directives, special needs trusts, employment, education, government services and housing will be presented by experts in the field.
"The line-up of speakers is impressive. Our hope is that families will arm themselves with information to help them make decisions together about their future," said Dave Blanchard, Executive Director of AADD.
In conjunction with the conference, AADD is offering a series of five session classes for families that will guide them through the process of making some of those tough decisions.
"The large 'baby boom' generation of adults with developmental disabilities living at home with elderly parents, and the long waiting lists for residential services, make future planning a priority ...," states Tamar Heller in the introduction to The Future is Now curriculum.
The Family Classes are based on a peer model in which families and people with disabilities co-facilitate the workshops and support each other. Individuals with disabilities and family members will participate in the workshop sessions through break-out groups. Due to the group model, the Future is Now Family Classes will be limited to 10 families.
Funding from the Division of Aging through the ADRC helped to make this conference possible.
To register for the Future is Now conference, please click here. For more information on the Conference and Family Classes, we welcome you to visit our website at: www.aadd.org/news or contact Riki Bolster.
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Individual and Family Support
Betty Works Hard at Publix
Betty Coker has been a part of AADD's family for over 26 years. AADD staff members say she has always been one of the most agreeable and pleasant people to be around.
Before we met Betty, she and her family lived in a rundown house and struggled to keep food on the table and their utilities connected. She had been misdiagnosed as having a severe cognitive disability, and many had little confidence in her ability to work or do anything with her life. AADD recognized her misdiagnosis and advocated for a re-evaluation, where she was properly diagnosed with a mild cognitive disability.
The new diagnosis gave Betty a different outlook on life. With AADD's support, she attained her first job at Kroger bagging groceries and bringing in shopping carts. After working at Kroger for seven years, Betty started at Publix where she has worked hard for the past 15 years. With pride, Betty tells us, "I'm a cashier. I ring up groceries and talk to the customers and welcome them in and welcome them back. I was born for it, really." Johnnie, Betty's Outreach Specialist, says, "She didn't take any classes. She just taught herself. She's a smart young lady."
Betty enjoys her time at Publix. She says, "They're a good company to work for." With her fantastic work ethic and a pleasant demeanor, she has formed many lasting friendships with co-workers and former teachers who believed in her. But there is one co-worker who has become more than a friend, she has become family. Betty calls her best friend, Janet*, her "play mamma". They enjoy spending time together, eating dinners at each other's house and going on day trips.
AADD has always been involved in helping Betty with transportation to medical appointments and home management. Betty and her Outreach Specialist, Johnnie, often go out to movies or go shopping together. Recently, she joined AADD staff members and a group of friends for a day trip to Alabama.
Betty's involvement with AADD has covered many years and many different needs. Betty says, "The people from AADD helped me get a job. They helped me get an apartment. I'm grateful for that too. They've helped me when I need them."
*Name changed to protect identity
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Advocacy and Education Working Towards a More Informed Georgia  Did you know that there are over 800,000 individuals across the country who are incarcerated and living with a developmental disability? Even more startling is, that right here in Georgia, over 75% of incarcerated individuals have a developmental disability that was not identified at the time of their arrest. These statistics convinced AADD and the Division of Developmental Disabilities- Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) to start the Justice and Developmental Disabilities Training program. Many developmental disabilities are not readily or visibly evident. Rita Young, Director of Public Policy and Education, and Crandall Heard, Justice and Developmental Disabilities Project Manager, felt it important to train volunteer advocates in order to connect with police officers, judges, attorneys and other law enforcement professionals throughout the State of Georgia who may not recognize or look for a developmental disability when handling a case. The first in-depth "train the trainer" session launched on March 13th, 2012 with 20 people attending, twice as many participants as was anticipated. The mission of the curriculum is to educate individuals on recognizing the signs of a developmental disability in order to bridge the gap between our justice system and the developmental disabilities community. When asked why training like this is important, Rita Young said, "There is a large percentage of professionals in the justice field that don't have access to this kind of training. We hope to raise awareness of the misunderstandings that may occur when approaching a person with a developmental disability." Facilitated by Crandall Heard, Mary Yoder (a former Executive Director of AADD) and Stacy Ramirez, the class focused on taking the first steps in training volunteers to engage Georgia law enforcement. One of the conversations covered personal experiences with developmental disabilities. Heard said, "We want the volunteers we train to be additional resources for law enforcement. It is not our goal or intention to chastise officers, but to help answer questions they might have and prepare them for situations they might encounter in the future." Young and Heard are hopeful that upcoming trainings will extend beyond the classroom and directly into the community. Subsequent trainings will include volunteers shadowing and assisting Heard, with the end goal to train law enforcement in their communities. Crandall said, "We are very encouraged by the number of people who came and who are interested in the training- this shows that there is a real need to start conversation with law enforcement, who are so integral in protecting our society." |
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