I had the privilege of going to the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University to meet with some of their heads. Mark Crenshaw is their Assistant Director and Molly Tucker is their Training and Advocacy Manager. They’ve also brought on Darien Todd as their Community Advocate Specialist in 2021, and I got to meet him at the beginning of this year at the Georgia State Capitol so it was nice to see a familiar face.
We did several interviews while at the CLD offices, but my favorite part by far was getting to sit in on an impromptu meeting between these three brilliant minds. They discussed the need for young advocates, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and many other important issues with refreshing candor and intelligence.
Some quick context, this was a natural conversation that we’re going to start in the middle of. I made a comment to Mark about the ability for advocates to connect with local legislators and relate, then the CLD crew took it from there. You’ll hear some references to a woman named Sharonda; she is a young advocate who has participated in some of the CLD’s programs and you can hear from her in our Next Generation of Advocates video or read about her in our Next Generation of Advocates article.
GCDD Making a Difference Magazine - Spring 2023
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is driven by its Five Year Plan (2017-2021) goals of education; employment; self-advocacy; Real Communities; and formal and informal supports. The Council, charged with creating systems change for individuals with developmental disabilities and family members, will work through various advocacy and capacity building activities to build a more interdependent, self-sufficient, and integrated and included disability community across Georgia.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 2001GASCDD-03, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
