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One of the main goals of the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) is to help Alabamians with developmental disabilities (DD) obtain independence. As a loved one, you can help, too! Each person is different, so there isn’t one right way to help someone gain independence, but here are a few ways to empower your loved one with DD.

Community Integration

Community integration is one of the most important ways that someone can gain their independence. Science tells us that everyone feels the need to be a part of something greater. A sense of community is essential for healthy self-worth and self-esteem, no matter whether you have disabilities or not. Your self-worth directly correlates to your ability to be independent. You can successfully act alone when you know that you’re part of a team. Because of the lack of resources and opportunities for people with DD, there can be a sense of isolation. ACDD works to provide and connect Alabamians to resources that better integrate them into the community.

Develop a Life Vision and Long-Term Goals

Developing a life vision and long-term goals is important for anyone. If you don’t have an idea of where you want to go, then you’ll probably struggle to get anywhere. If you have a loved one that has DD, help them create long term goals for their life. If he or she wants to have a job, write out the steps needed to reach this goal. ACDD provides career coaching as well as resources and support for people with DD in the workforce.

Identify Supports

After creating long term goals, the next step is identifying the support needed to reach these goals. No one can do anything completely alone. Many of us need a support team to reach our biggest goals and dreams. Help your loved one research and find the support that they’ll need to reach their goals or sustain their life’s vision. If his or her goal is to work a part-time job, then identifying support would be researching transportation or setting up a bank account.

Consider Your Own Behavior

The last way to help your loved one gain independence has more to do with you. It’s important to be accepting of your loved one’s dreams and goals. Being judgmental is not the best way to support him or her. Everyone wants their visions, dreams, and goals to be accepted. Your loved one is no different. Create an environment of love and support so he or she will know that they’ll be listened to with acceptance and without judgement.

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities

ACDD wants to help foster the independence of Alabamians with developmental disabilities. If you or a loved one would like to learn more about our resources, contact us today.

The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) aims to support the independence and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. Although ACDD offers a number of resources to help achieve this goal, their ultimate hope is that the Alabamians they serve become self advocates. Self advocacy is defined as successfully representing yourself, your beliefs, and your interests. You can take the resources that ACDD offers to help create an inclusive community for all people to work, play, live, and learn.

Become Informed

The first step on the journey to self advocacy is becoming informed. If you, your child, or a family member has a developmental disability, then you’re probably knowledgeable about the everyday struggles. What you may be less informed about is legislation that affects those with developmental disabilities. It’s not only important to know who your state legislator is, but also about bills that affect those with developmental disabilities.

Attend Conferences & Training Events

The next way that you can become a self advocate is by attending different activities that help develop the independence of those with developmental disabilities. Leadership conferences, public forums, and legislative skills training events are held by organizations specifically for those with developmental disabilities and their families. If you are eligible, ACDD offers reimbursement for some of the expenses associated with attending these types of events through the Consumer Involvement Fund (CIF).

Jonathan Peak

Jonathan Peak’s whole life was a journey to self advocacy.  His mother had polio as a child, resulting in an abnormal curvature of her spine. When Peak was in the process of being born, he suffered from nerve damage and a traumatic brain injury because of the force used to deliver him. Doctors told his family that he would live a difficult life because of his disability. His family decided instead to help Peak live a successful life. Today, he is the Advocacy Coordinator at the Montgomery Center for Independent Living.

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities Promotes Self Advocacy

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a self advocate, or about any of our other resources, get in touch with us.

One of the goals of the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) is to empower the developmental disabilities community and enhance the productivity and independence of those with disabilities. One of the ways that the Council is reaching this goal is through the Consumer Involvement Fund (CIF). CIF is a program where people with developmental disabilities and their family members are partially reimbursed for attending training sessions, conferences, public forums, or other similar events and activities.

Benefiting from CIF is as easy as your ABC’s. Let’s unpack what that means:

(A)pplication

The first step in benefiting from CIF is completing the application. ACDD provides downloadable individual and organization applications on our website. After submitting an application, you’ll receive either an approval or denial letter. If your application is approved, your letter will include the award amount, details for reimbursement of approved expenses, and an acceptance form.

(B)udget

A critical part of the CIF application is writing out your budget. The application includes a section that helps you report your expenses. There are sections for the costs that you can pay with your own funds or funds from other agencies. Lastly, there is a section for you to list the amount that you’d like from CIF.

(C)osts That Are Reimbursed

In order to be reimbursed, your costs have to meet certain criteria. The event you attended has to be a professional conference, advocacy skills training event, focus group, public forum, or similar. Costs that can be reimbursed include: hotel, mileage, meals, and airfare.

ACDD is dedicated to empowering those with developmental disabilities and their families. If you’re interested in learning more about CIF or our other resources, contact us today.

There are many businesses that employ people with intellectual disabilities. You may be thinking that these business owners offer jobs to intellectually disabled employees out of the goodness of their hearts with little regard to their profits, and perhaps this is sometimes the case. Actually, though, hiring employees with intellectual disabilities is not only a good thing to do–it’s the smart thing to do for your company.

Diversity

Diversity and inclusion are two factors that never hinder a business. If anything, the addition of diversity and inclusion policies correlate with high performance. Businesses that perform highly are two times as likely to implement diversity and inclusion policies as lower performing businesses. So, companies that are intentional about creating a diverse working climate are more likely to become successful.

Low Turnover

Employees with intellectual disabilities tend to have a more positive working experience than other employees. HR departments that implemented inclusive hiring initiatives report 80 percent of supervisors express having a positive working experience with employees with intellectual disabilities. And of course, positive working experiences can result in an employee wanting to stay at a certain job, decreasing the company’s overall spending.

Quality Employees

Successful companies often have employees with specific qualities. Some of these qualities include work quality, motivation, engagement, integration with co-workers, dependability, and attendance. Employees with these characteristics help create a successful business, and these qualities are also desired by companies aiming to become successful. Three-fourths of employees with intellectual disabilities rank as “good” or “very good” in all of these characteristics–making them arguably the perfect employee for any company.

Joey Hale

Joey Hale, an employee at Publix in Birmingham, is the perfect example of someone with a developmental disability doing exceptional work on the job. Hale is known for his hard work, but he’s remembered for his positive disposition. Even when the store is busy and chaotic, Hale always has a smile for his customers. Even with all of the struggles he had to face, Hale still finds the strength to show kindness to the Shelby County community.

Joey Hale is just one example of an employee with an intellectual disability who is a great asset to his employer–and to the community as a whole. When more employers take steps to hire these amazing individuals, the benefits will be obvious as their work ethic and pleasant dispositions attract more and and more customers for the company.

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities offers resources for Alabamians with developmental disabilities and their family members. If you would like to learn more about our resources for developmental and/or intellectual disabilities, contact us today.

The Consumer Involvement Fund is program that helps Alabamians with developmental disabilities and their family members participate in professional or informational conferences, legislative advocacy skills training events, public forums, focus groups, hearings, and other similar activities. For eligible applicants, CIF provides partial funding for these activities. The goal of the program is to promote the involvement and empowerment of people with developmental disabilities, their family members, and their guardians.

How Do I Apply?

The Consumer Involvement Fund Committee (CIFC) has downloadable applications for organizations and individuals. After the application is sent, the applicant will receive a letter informing them of the amount the CIFC has awarded. The letter will also include details for reimbursement. The CIFC gives considerable weight to applicants that are first time users, first time attendees of an event, individuals attending to enhance ethnic or cultural sensitivity, and applicants residing in rural or other underserved and/or unserved areas.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

There are certain requirements to be eligible to apply. You must be an individual with a developmental disability, or you must be the parent, family member, or guardian of an individual with a developmental disability.

The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities Can Help

The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities offers downloadable forms for the Consumer Involvement Fund applications on the ACDD website. ACDD also answers frequently asked questions about CIF and provides the contact information of individuals that can offer applicant support. For more information about the Consumer Involvement Fund or other resources for individuals with developmental disabilities, contact us today.

After a natural disaster, there are a number of people who find themselves without resources. Many are missing clothes, shelter, food, and even hygiene products–not to mention the stability and predictability of the routines they desperately need.

For someone with a developmental disability, a natural disaster could mean that you’re without some of the aids that help you function. Most shelters don’t offer assistive devices for people with disabilities, and replacing any of these aids that may have been damaged could take a large amount of time–which means it’s essential to prepare a plan before a disaster strikes. Additionally, people with developmental or intellectual disabilities may suffer mental anguish over the suddenly stressful situation. A good plan doesn’t just take into account physical needs; it includes mental and emotional needs, too.

All of this can be true of inclement weather, too. An unexpected snowstorm can trap people in their houses, which means they can’t get to a store–and that makes planning ahead incredibly important.

Evacuation Plan

Evacuating from your home when there is a natural disaster is already difficult, but the task can become more difficult for someone with a disability–especially if there’s no plan to follow. Creating an evacuation plan is as simple as finding a program that will have the resources people with disabilities need in case of an evacuation. The Emergency & Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP) is a specialized program that focuses on residents that require special assistance during an evacuation or emergency because of their disability.

Keep in mind that someone with a developmental disablity may be extremely distressed in this type of situation. Create a strategy to help them stay calm and get to a safe place where they feel as secure as possible.

Personal Emergency Plan

A natural disaster can alter everyday life for a few days or a few months. This can pose a real problem for someone with a developmental disability. If there is no way to to evacuate during a natural disaster, it is crucial to have an emergency plan. An emergency plan can be tailored to accommodate your everyday life. It’s best if your plan is finished and frequently kept up to date; a plan is no good if it’s outdated or incomplete. Here are a few things your emergency plan should address:

• Medications and vaccinations
• Daily living needs
• Communication/emotional needs
• Important documents
• Medical information
• Contact information
• Health summary

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities

If you or a loved one has a developmental disability and you would like to learn more about the resources that ACDD has to offer, contact us today.