The Governor's Office of Disability Affairs Newsletter
January 2020
GACDA Accepting Membership Applications
Applications are being accepted for membership on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Disability Affairs (GACDA). GACDA is required by law and established through executive order to advise on the needs of individuals with disabilities in Louisiana. GACDA is also charged with assisting the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs with the resolution of state disability issues and providing education, communication, and networking services concerning disability issues and needs for all Louisiana citizens. GACDA members are appointed by the Governor. Support staff, facilities, and resources for GACDA are provided by the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs . Click here to apply for membership to GACDA. Deadline to submit applications is February 2nd.
DD Council Executive Director Retires After Successful Advocacy Career
Executive Director Sandee Winchell recently retired from the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council. She began her career at the Council 34 years ago and served her last 20 years as the Executive Director.
 
Sandee is well known for her tenacity and dedication to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities in Louisiana and their families. For over 30 years, she dedicated her life to the developmental disabilities community, showing compassion and support to thousands of individuals and families across this state.

Because of her service and leadership, our state is better, and individuals and families are better. She assured that people with developmental disabilities and their family members had a voice in shaping laws, policies and programs that affected the disability world, insisting that self-advocates and parent-advocates have a seat at every table where decisions were being made about them.
 
It is not possible to detail all the changes and, more importantly, all the lives impacted because of her service and leadership. Some contributions to our state's developmental disability accomplishments during her job tenure include: 

  • More and better services for people with developmental disabilities.
  • Shifting Louisiana from ten large public institutions for people with developmental disabilities to one.
  • Shaping Louisiana's service delivery system and the Community and Family Support System to being both consumer- and family-centered and consumer- and family-directed.
  • Transforming Louisiana's Home and Community System from a "first-come, first-serve" basis to one that provides resources to people by priority of need.
  • Supporting the Families Helping Families Regional Resource Centers across the state that do the on the ground work to help people understand and navigate the systems designed to serve them.
  • Innumerable projects that provided seeds of change and demonstrated new practices to build the capacity of providers and people with developmental disabilities and their families.
  • Self- and parent-advocate access to learn the skills and strategies of effective advocacy, notably Louisiana Council's Advocacy Network (LaCAN) where all the advocates in yellow shirts were respected as credible agents of systems change.

The Council, as well as the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs, wishes Sandee all the best in her well-deserved retirement and thanks her immensely for her service.
 
While the Council conducts its search for a new Executive Director, Deputy Director Shawn Fleming will serve as the interim Executive Director.  
Statewide Housing Advocacy Meetings
The Governor's Advisory Council on Disability Affairs will host a series of Housing Advocacy Meetings across the state. The GACDA committee on Housing seeks interested parties to participate in the coordinated statewide plan for affordable and accessible housing.

The meetings are scheduled to place on:

  • March 3, 10:00 am at 4655 Sherwood Common Blvd, Baton Rouge

  • March 3, 2:00 pm at 601 W. Coleman Ave, Hammond

  • March 10, 10:00 am at 4130 W. Park Ave, Gray

  • March 10, 2:00 pm at New Orleans (to be determined)

  • March 11, 10:00 am at 101 Jefferson St., Lafayette

  • March 11, 2:00 pm at 4320 Lake Street, Lake Charles

  • March 25, 2:00 pm Shreveport (to be determined)

  • March 26, 10:00 am at Monroe (to be determined)

  • March 26, 2:00 pm at 5416 Provine Place, Alexandria

There is no registration required. For more information please email Sharon Hennessy at: sharon@peoplefirstla.org .
Louisiana Women's Commission Listening Tour
The Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission is conducting a series of public meetings around Louisiana inviting women to talk to them about the challenges they encounter in their everyday lives. To include as many women’s voices as possible in this listening tour, the Commission is also developing a survey so that women who cannot attend one of the public forums may still have their thoughts included in the process. The listening tour will take place in: Shreveport on February 3 at 5:30 pm and Baton Rouge on February 20 at 11:00 am.
 
The Commission submits Annual Reports to the governor that contain research and data on those issues impacting Louisiana women that are deemed to be the highest priority by members of the Commission. These reports help to inform the legislature and the general public of some of the pressing needs and possible solutions.

The Commission membership includes subject matter experts, state department heads and elected officials. Even with this wealth of knowledge, they recognize that they don’t know what they don’t know. The Commission would like to hear from every woman from around the state, about the issues they experience.

Please click here to register to attend an upcoming listening tour. For more information regarding the Office of Women's Policy please click here .
Public Forum
In collaboration with our DD Network Partners (Advocacy Center/Disability Rights of LA, and LSUHSC-Human Development Center), the LA Developmental Disabilities Council wants to hear from individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and other stakeholders on topics that affect the developmental disability community. 

The Public Forum will take place at the Main Library on Goodwood Blvd. at 11:00am.

Please join this collaborative effort to share your thoughts on areas of need, systems that need improvement, or what you feel is working correctly in matters of Quality Assurance, Health, Housing, Community Supports, Education and Early Intervention, Child Care, Employment, Transportation, and Recreation. Your input will help guide the DD Council’s advocacy, capacity building, and systems change activities for our next Five-Year Plan for Federal Fiscal Years 2022-2026.

If you need accommodations to participate in this event, please email  Courtney.Ryland2@la.gov , or call the DD Council Office at 1-800-450-8108, to make your request.

To register to attend the Public Forum please click here .
Deaf Focus will host the Leap Year ASL Slam event featuring famous poet Douglas Ridloff on February 29, 2020 at the Louisiana School for the Deaf Auditorium at 7:00pm.

Please click here to view a sample of Douglas' work.

The proceeds from this event will fund Kidz Kamp; one of Deaf Focus' signature events, which is usually held in June at Camp Istrouma in Greenwell Springs. LA. Kidz Kamp is for Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing children as well as CODAs (Children of Deaf adults) ages 5-17.

The objective of Kidz Kamp is to promote a language rich environment without communication barriers. This weekend getaway also enriches them to develop awareness, sensitivity and confidence for their social well-being. All of the Kidz Kamp staff uses American Sign Language and they all volunteer.

Please click here for tickets and for more information about this event.
The Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families to Host Series of Regional Meetings
The Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families will host a series of regional meetings throughout the state to discuss the Census 2020, and to provide updates on policy initiatives before the start of the 2020 Regular Legislative Session.The theme of the series of regional meetings is "Making 2020 Count for Children and Families".

Meetings are scheduled to take place on:

  • February 7, 10:00 am at 2515 Canal Street, New Orleans

  • February 10, 10:00 am at 4465 E Hwy 190 Service Road, Covington

  • February 19, 10:00 am at 904 DeVille Lane, Ruston
  • February 20, 10:00 am at 800 W. 70th Street, Shreveport

  • March 2, 2:00 pm at 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge

  • March 5, 10:00 am at 1104 4th Street, Conference Room C, Alexandria

  • March 5, 2:00 pm at 200 E. Devalcourt Street, Lafayette

  • March 6, 10:00 am at 4310 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Registration is free and attendance is open to the public. To register for the regional meetings please click here .

Annual Conference
The Brain Injury Association of Louisiana will host its 13th Annual Conference on March 27-28, 2020 in Kenner, LA.

The theme for the conference is "Together Toward Tomorrow, and will feature networking opportunities, an opportunity to earn up to 12 CEUs, and gain valuable information from presenters from around the country.

To register for the conference please click here .
GODA Spotlight: 
Jay Isch
Jay is a native of Boston, Massachusetts and currently a resident of Lafayette, he brings a refreshingly progressive mindset to Louisiana with his experience as a culturally Deaf individual coming from a Deaf family and growing up in an all-Deaf school. Besides working, he enjoys cooking, flipping/re-purposing vintage items, traveling, and politics. For the last 4 years, he has been working at Deaf Focus, a small nonprofit organization based in Baton Rouge, as an Advocate with a mission to bridge gaps between resources and the Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) community in the Greater Baton Rouge area. He also coordinates the Interpreting logistics and community events. Deaf Focus' advocacy efforts also brought the state's first-ever Deaf and Black Superintendent of the Special School District.

Jay is actively involved with the Louisiana Deaf community in many roles; voluntarily, he serves as a Governor-appointed Commissioner with the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf (LCD), as an Executive Officer with the Louisiana Association of the Deaf, Inc. (LAD), as a Governor-appointed Deaf Representative on the Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (LA EHDI) Advisory Council, as a President for the Lafayette Athletic Association of the Deaf (LAAD), and as the State Representative of the Louisiana branch of the Deaf Grassroots Movement (DGM).

Since 2016, he has played a part in passing seven progressive legislation that positively impacts the DDBHH community with State Representative Patricia Haynes Smith. One specific legislation added Deaf Awareness and Sensitivity training for the online training for Louisiana State Police which will eventually reach over 23,000 Troopers. Jay provides training for Law Enforcement agencies with his team at Deaf Focus. To date, they have trained over 500 Police Officers.

In addition to the GOLD's Ken Vince Memorial Award he received in 2017, he has been nominated for several honors of recognition including from the Hamilton Relay. Recently, he received the Timeless Service and Dedication award from the Louisiana Association of the Deaf in June 2019. Today, He continues to work with state legislators and state officials to raise awareness and educate those who can make a difference on obstacles DDBHH individuals face on a daily basis.

Jay hopes that his dedication in his work with the community inspires others to take the initiative to learn more about us, to understand the issues and bring common-sense solutions to the table. "It all starts by embracing us as a part of our diverse society." Jay says.

Your story has the ability to heal, unify, and empower others. If you'd like to share your story for inclusion in our monthly newsletter please email disability.affairs@la.gov .