The Governor's Office of Disability Affairs Newsletter
November 2019
GOLD Awards &
Inclusive Art Contest
The ceremony for both the  2019 GOLD Awards  and  2019 Inclusive Art Contest will take place on December 10, 2019 in Baton Rouge, LA.

The  GOLD Awards  recognizes extraordinary individuals and organizations who have contributed their time and talents to benefit the lives of persons with disabilities in Louisiana. The  Inclusive Art Contest   enables participants to increase awareness of the importance of inclusion in today's society through artistic expression.

An link to RSVP will be made available by November 12, 2019. Please email disability.affairs@la.gov for more information.
Advocacy Center of Louisiana Election Hotline
The Advocacy Center of Louisiana has established an election hotline for individuals who have voting questions, disability-related concerns. The election hotline can also be used to report an inaccessible poling place.

The Advocacy Center's election hotline number is (800) 960-7705.
Statewide Independent Living Council Hosted Series of
Job and Resource Fairs
The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) hosted a series of Inclusion Job and Resource Fairs in October throughout the state. October was National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) . The SILC encouraged all interested parties to find out more about possible career opportunities and resources available to the community by interfacing with over 40 vendors. The job fairs will took place in various locations throughout the state and reached over 500 job seekers. These job and resource fairs provided valuable information regarding employment and other important resources for individuals with disabilities.

For more information or to be a vendor for next year's event, please contact Jessica Lewis at 225-219-7552. This event is sponsored by the Statewide Independent Living Council and Healthy Blue.
Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families to Host Series of Regional Meetings
The Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families in collaboration with strategic partners will host a series of regional meetings in Alexandria, Monroe, Lafayette, and New Orleans to discuss the progress that has been made in regards to investing in the children of Louisiana. The theme of these series of meetings is "Investing In Louisiana's Children: The Progress We've Made and The Road Ahead".

These regional meetings will feature remarks from the Secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, Marketa Garner Walters, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, Jan Moller, and Susan East Nelson, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families.

Please click here to RSVP for these regional meetings.
2019 Developmental Disabilities Council Conference
The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council will host its biennial conference on November 18, 2019 at 8:00 am at 5500 Hilton Avenue in Baton Rouge. The theme of the conference is : “Navigating the System Across the Lifespan.”

The Council’s 2019 Conference will kick off with a keynote address on creating a meaningful life from author, speaker, parent advocate, and former Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council Chairperson, Katherine Carol.

Participants will have the opportunity to follow different topic tracks:
  • Childhood, to include early childhood, IEPs, and social engagement; 
  • Adulthood, to include transitioning out of high school, post-secondary education, employment, and housing; and/or
  • Supports, to include community supports, behavioral and medical supports, and financial planning

Attendees can look forward to breakfast, as well as a “Lunch and Learn" facilitated by keynote speaker Katherine Carol featuring a panel of self-advocates and parent advocates discussing advocacy from a personal perspective to move the system forward.

Click  here  to download the agenda!

Registration costs are listed below and cover admission to all plenary and breakout sessions, continental breakfast, and lunch.

A very limited number of stipends are available to individuals with a developmental disability and/or their parents who otherwise would not be able to participate in this conference. To apply for a stipend, send a request explaining your need with your contact information to  Hannah.Jenkins@la.gov .

Reservations at the Baton Rouge Marriott may be made by  clicking here  or calling 225-924-5000. Ask for the “LaDDC Advocacy Leadership Conference” room block to get a rate of $100 per night. The deadline to book a room at this reduced rate is Friday, November 1, 2019.  Click here  for a map and driving directions to the hotel.
Nicholls State University to host Bridge to Independence Seminars
The Bridge to Independence Program will host seminars on November 6, 2019 at 6:00 p.m, and November 13, 2019 at 10:00 am in the Century Room at the John L. Guidry Stadium of Nicholls State University.

The Seminar on November 6th, is for the general population and anyone wanting to learn more information on the programs, and the seminar on November 13th is for schools, teachers, and educational staff.

At Nicholls State University, students with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder have the opportunity to enjoy the full college experience while gaining the leadership and social skills needed for future employment and independent living.

For more information about the Bridge to Independence Program at Nicholls State University please click here .
Lafayette Disability Coordinator Receives
National ADA Certification
Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Disability Awareness Coordinator Liam Doyle has completed a training program to become a nationally certified ADA Coordinator. Doyle began the training in October of 2017 which entailed a combination of in-person and online coursework. 

 “I am thrilled to be receiving this distinction not only as the completion of a long-standing goal, but also what it offers Lafayette as a whole,” said Doyle of the experience. “This program was designed to give its participants a deep understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the tools to implement its regulations in order to move a community forward. It is my hope that others will follow in my footsteps and look into this program in order to gain the knowledge and insight associated with it.” 

As a well-known local disability advocate and former Chairman of the  Awareness Committee for Citizens with Disabilities , Doyle joined the Robideaux Administration in 2017. According to Robideaux, the Disability Awareness Coordinator position was created to serve as an official voice for citizens with disabilities within LCG. “Liam brings the knowledge and passion needed to accurately address disability issues on a day-to-day basis. With his help, Lafayette’s citizens will see expedited planning and improvement towards ADA compliance, faster responses to constituents’ concerns and greater awareness of our inclusion efforts.”

In addition to being nationally certified, Liam will also be an acting ADA Coordinator, along with LCG’s current ADA Coordinator Shaun Williams. Doyle works with several groups at the local and state level to improve the lives of others. He is a recipient of the Ken Vice Advocacy GOLD Award and the Outstanding Individual with a Disability Award, both in 2015. 

The ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program is offered by the University of Missouri through the College of Human and Environmental Sciences, School of Architectural Studies and the Great Plains ADA Center. 
Louisiana Department of Education Awarded Grants to Enhance Supports for Teachers and Students
The Louisiana Department of Education has earned competitive federal grant awards to enhance supports for students and teachers. These grants will enhance literacy programming and instruction; expand direct mental health services for students, including those who are historically disadvantaged.

These grants include:

Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant : The award, which totals $2.5 million over five years, will fund a partnership between the Department and LSU School of Social Work to create the "Louisiana School Social Work Expansion Project," an effort to expand and strengthen the school-based mental health workforce, particularly at sites with a high number of economically disadvantaged students and with high rates of teacher turnover. The project aims to provide enhanced mental health services to students in these high-needs schools, prepare the school-based mental health workforce to provide students  multi-tiered systems of support (will open in new tab) , and improve school culture and climate to better prepare students for employment, responsible citizenship, and fulfilling lives.

Special Education Leadership Grant : The award, which totals $1 million and spans five years, will establish a "Special Education Leader Fellowship." The fellowship will be a year-long, comprehensive development program for aspiring and novice special education leaders across the state. The fellowship will provide in-person training, coaching, and a community of practice that will instill the knowledge and skills the next generation of leaders need to lead and sustain change to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. The new program will build upon the state's existing and successful fellowship programs for educators and administrators, such as the  Principal Leader Fellowship Program (will open in new tab)  and the  Content Leader (will open in new tab)  pathway.

The Department of Education will immediately begin formalizing partnerships with other agencies and will soon provide information to school systems about how they can access the services supported by these awards.

For more information please click here .
The Administration for Community Living to Host Listening Session to Discuss Support After Natural Disasters
The Administration on Community Living (ACL) is hosting a listening session in Baton Rouge on November 19 th to hear from people with disabilities and their family members on how they prepare for and recover from natural disasters. ACL wants to learn how they can better address the needs of people with disabilities and their families in natural disasters and how ACL can support emergency preparedness.  People with disabilities and their families are invited to attend and share their experiences with this federal agency. Topics of discussion that ACL is most interested in learning from you include:
 
  1. What do you do to prepare for disasters? Is there anyone that helps you to prepare?
  2. What do you find most difficult about preparing for a disaster?
  3. If you ever had to evacuate your home due to a disaster, where did you go, who went with you, and how did you get there?
  4. If you went to a shelter, what worked well for you at the shelter and what did not? For instance, did you have access to the medical equipment and medications you need? If not, was there someone you felt comfortable talking to at the shelter about your needs or was there someone with you that could share your concerns with shelter staff?
  5. If you did not stay at a shelter, what were the problems you encountered during the disaster?
  6. Did you have any other immediate needs following the disaster? If so, were there any barriers to you getting the support you needed?
  7. What lingering problems do you have as a result of the most recent disaster you survived?
  8. As a result of your most recent emergency/disaster experiences, has there been any changes in your preparedness planning? Do you have access to the information and resources you need to better prepare?
  9. Is there a person, process or system that needs to be changed to better assist in your emergency planning and preparedness?
 
The session will be held on November 19 th from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the American Red Cross Building, 4655 Sherwood Commons Blvd. in Baton Rouge.
 
Click here to view the ACL Save-the-Date flyer for this event.