2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the Olmstead decision, which was a legal ruling that determined that everyone has the equal right to choose where they live and how they participate in their communities. And for those with disabilities who need support in their day-to-day living, Olmstead established the right to have access to those services.

In this episode, four guests share their personal and professional knowledge of how Olmstead has prevailed or failed in the last 25 years. The episode features D’Arcy Rob, GCDD executive director, Charlie Miller, GCDD’s policy and advocacy director, Susan Goico, director of the Disability Integration Project at Atlanta Legal Aid, and Tais Keyser, a fierce Georgia mother on a mission to get disability services for her son while helping other parents in similar situations. Host Mara Waldruff guides the story through four chapters — the history of Olmstead, the positive impact it has had over time, the ways in which Olmstead has not come to fruition, and what can be done to spread hope and advocacy to increase its impact on the disability community.

00:30 Introduction: What is the Olmstead decision?

02:20 Chapter 1: The history of Olmstead

13:41 Chapter 2: The positive impact of Olmstead over time

17:43 Georgia’s rate study

22:25 Chapter 3: The ways in which Olmstead has not come to fruition

23:06 The problem with unmet need

31:26 The plight of a mother advocating for services

37:26 Chapter 4: What can be done to increase hope and advocacy?

46:24 Conclusion

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.

Inclusive post-secondary education programs, commonly shortened to IPSE, are popping up throughout the country and the state of Georgia. In this episode of Pinpoint, we zoom in on one specific IPSE program, the EXCEL program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. EXCEL stands for Expanding Career, Education and Leadership and has an impressive track record among its graduates, with 92% of them gaining and maintaining meaningful employment. In this episode, we highlight voices of students, graduates, faculty and staff, talking about everything from the impact of internships, post-graduation dream jobs, and the structure that makes the program successful.

Internships and their impact: 1:57
Student spotlight: Itzel 3:40
Student spotlight: Martha: 7:13
Graduate spotlight: Sam: 9:23
Program structure: 14:15
Conclusion: 19:43
Student insight and advice: 22:41

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.

It’s a new year, which means a new season for ADVOCACY! The 2024 legislative session is upon us, so GCDD has made sure that this Pinpoint episode has everything you need to know to feel prepared to advocate to your community and legislators. This year, GCDD has three legislative priorities. These include increasing waivers and DSP wages, employment opportunities and fair pay for people with disabilities, and to fully fund inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) scholarships. In this episode, GCDD turns to its internal talent and subject matter experts, Charlie Miller, Legislative Advocacy Director, and Charlotte Densmore, Public Policy Director, to detail the proposed legislation and to share why each one is so important.

Guests

Charlie Miller, Legislative Advocacy Director

Charlotte Densmore, Public Policy Director

Resources

2024 Advocacy Days calendar and event registration

GCDD full events calendar

Topics and Timestamps

3:38 Summary of 2024 legislative priorities

4:16 Georgia as a Model Employer (GAME)

5:16 DSPs and HCBS waivers

13:57 Importance of IPSE

30:23 Ending 14C Certificates

31:15 Real Jobs for Real Wages

37:39 Key messages and takeaways

42:28 How to get involved

42:40 Advocacy Days schedule

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.