Advocacy is at the forefront of making sure those with developmental disabilities are seen, heard, and respected. Every year in March we celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and a highlight of the month is DD Awareness & Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. On March 4th, a group of self-advocates took part in this important and meaningful day. Abby, Aumesha, James and Linda spent the day listening to other self-advocates, learning about advocacy initiatives in Ohio, and speaking with legislators about prominent concerns for those with disabilities living in Ohio.
The group had a great time, citing the amazing pre-program guitar show, roleplaying speaking to representatives, and then meeting the representatives as the best parts of the day. Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Director Kim Hauck, and former State Representative Scott Lipps all gave presentations on the importance of accepting and promoting those with developmental disabilities in the everyday Ohio community, and making sure their voices are heard at the table in conversations about Ohio policy changes.
This year’s theme was “Driving Towards Access,” so the panel discussion focused on transportation issues, as well as improvements, that are happening throughout all of Ohio. Often, rural counties and communities have difficulty with accessible public transportation due to funding, schedules, and overall availability. The panel addressed these concerns and spoke about how counties in Ohio are enacting change and even spoke about their own experiences with transportation.
In the meeting with representatives from Senator Matt Huffman’s office, the group brought up several issues important to them. With all of the uncertainty surrounding Medicaid and Medicare changes, the group shared why this service is essential. Medicaid and Medicaid funded waivers provide individuals in Board services with access to transportation, healthcare, in-home care, medical devices, and more. James shared that Medicaid is very important to ensure he has transportation to where he needs to go and that he has access to his medications. James and the others all noted concern around the uncertainty of potential Medicaid changes and how that would affect them. All are hopeful that questions will be answered in the coming months.
Overall, everyone was glad to be able to speak up and advocate for themselves at the Statehouse. Aumesha even stated that they all should continue to “speak up more, if there’s something specific we want done we shouldn’t be scared to say something about it.” For Aumesha and Linda, this was their first time attending DD Advocacy Day, and self-advocacy is still newer to them. They did an amazing job speaking up for themselves, listening to learn more about advocacy, and diving into the bigger issues being discussed.
DD Advocacy Day at the Statehouse is just one part of the awareness and advocacy that happens throughout the month of March. The Board’s billboard campaign, 23 school readings, partnership luncheon and collaborative events with partners, all strive to bring even greater awareness to the community. We invite you to stay up to date on other events in March by following our Facebook page and viewing the events calendar on acbdd.org.
