The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council
Wants to Hear from You.

What do you or your family need to improve your quality of life?
Are there current services and supports you receive that are effective?
What has kept you from getting the services you need?
What do you think should be done to improve access to services?
Do have questions or concerns that you want the Council to hear about?

Then come to the Focus Group sessions scheduled:

Monday, March 15, 2010, in Tallahassee.
Where: Homewood Suites, 2987 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida  32301
Time: 5:00 - 6:15pm       

Monday, April 12, 2010, in Jacksonville.
Where: Murray Hill Branch of the Duval County Public Library, 918 Edgewood Avenue South, Jacksonville, Florida  32205
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Tuesday, April 6, 2010, in Orlando.
Where: Lighthouse Central Florida, 215 East New Hampshire Street,
Orlando, Florida  32804
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 pm

Thursday, March 25, 2010, in Pensacola.
Where: West Florida Public Library,200 West Gregory Street,
Pensacola, Florida  32502
Time:6:15 – 7:45 pm

The Council will take comments and questions from self-advocacy organizations, individuals with disabilities, their family members and caregivers.

Please contact Allison Chase at: achaseccg@comcast.net or 850-566-9606 if you plan to attend.

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The Florida Office on Disability and Health currently is conducting two web-based surveys. The purpose of these surveys is to collect more information from and about people with a disability of all ages living in Florida. These surveys are based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey administered in all US states and territories and overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Like the BRFSS, the Florida Office on Disability and Health web surveys include questions about health behaviors, access to health care, and preventive health practices.

The data collected through the web surveys will be used to describe health needs and health disparities between Floridians with and without disabilities, to set priorities for future data collection efforts, and to create or support policies that improve the health and well being of Floridians with disabilities. Please follow the appropriate link below to complete a survey:

If you are age 18 or older, live in Florida, and have a disability, click here to begin the survey. If you are age 18 or older, live in Florida, and would like to complete the survey on behalf of someone else with a disability (for example, a child under 18 or someone who cannot respond for himself because of a communication or other disability), click here to begin the survey.

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The deadline for Partners in Policymaking  applications for the

2010 class has been extended to April 1, 2010.

Click here for an application.
Partners in Policymaking is a leadership and advocacy training program that teaches
self-advocates and family members to be community leaders and how to obtain the best available services for themselves and others. Based on a national model, the overall goal of Partners is to develop productive partnerships between people who need and use services and those in a position to make policy and law. For more information about Partners in Policymaking click here  

The dates for the 2010 Partners in Policymaking program are as follows: 

*Friday and Saturday, June 11 and 12 in Orlando
* Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 16, 17, and 18 in Orlando
* Friday and Saturday, August 13 and 14 in Orlando
* Friday and Saturday, September 10 and 11 in Orlando
* Tuesday and Wednesday, October 12 and 13 in Tallahassee
* Friday and Saturday, November 12 and 13 in Orlando

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Senate and House appropriation committees are considering cuts in health and human services programs that could result in as much as a 15% reduction in Home and Community Based Waiver services. The initial decisions for cutting programs are expected by March 12, 2010. See this background document prepared by Sunrise for more information and contact the Senators and Representatives listed and tell them (in your own words) why the cuts recommended by APD will devastating. Please thank them for their continued support.

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Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) has a new home page! Visit often to keep up on lots of cool new information and stuff to do.  Over the next few months new features will be added.  You will be able to connect with other self-advocates around the country and the world!

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SAVE THE DATE!

DD Awareness Day 2010

March 16,2010
Capital Rotunda, 2nd Floor
Tallahassee, FL

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Please join us at the SABE: National Self-Advocacy Conference being hosted in Kansas City in September, 2010!!!  The registration cost is $375 which includes all conference activities and 8 meals (dinner on Thursday, all meals on Friday and Saturday and brunch on Sunday) Sign-up at the website for updates about: Presenting, registration forms, budget worksheet and more at  www.sabekc2010.org .  Please be patient!  We will get all this to you as soon as possible.  If you have not already, start fundraising and saving for your trip to the conference!  Everyone that signs up will get email updates as details are finalized for the conference.  If you have any questions or you want a flyer of the “save the date” that you can print off and mail, email hilesr@umkc.edu Hope to see you there!!!!

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