Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities announces March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 21, 2023) – On March 9, the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) announced March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month during its quarterly meeting held at the Arkansas State Capitol. Arkansans are encouraged to celebrate the month by learning more and sharing resources about how individuals with and without developmental disabilities (DD) can unite to form stronger, more integrated communities across the state.

“The Council is working to strengthen the equity of Arkansans with DD,” said Jonathan Taylor, executive director of GCDD. “Every year, we celebrate March as Devel-

opmental Disabilities

Awareness Month to garner support and raise awareness of the importance of creating an integrative and supportive community for all Arkansans.”

Each year, GCDD celebrates March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month alongside its national association, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), and other partners across the United States.

Meeting attendees included Council members, representatives from Arkansas Association of People Supporting Employment First (Arkansas APSE) and Arkansas Alliance for Disability Advocacy, employers and community members.

To submit events, stories and photos or explore resources to expand the conversation on community integration, visit GCDD.Arkansas. gov/ .

About The Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities is a member of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD). The Council’s purpose is to connect people with developmental disabilities to the resources and programs they need to be independent, be productive and be integrated and included in all parts of community life.

GCDD, along with network partners, works to implement the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act in Arkansas to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of community services that allow increased opportunities to live and work locally. GCDD is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Community Living (ACL) through the Administration on Disability’s Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD). Learn more at GCDD.Arkansas.gov/ .