EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
One in four Americans has a disability. Individuals with disabilities have less access to health, education, and other important resources. We seek to improve their access by empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families and communities, and informing local, state, and federal policy.
Ways To Engage
The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) is one of 67 University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) programs in the country funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
CLD serves as the activity hub for the Georgia Inclusive Postsecondary Education Consortium, which supports inclusive college opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout nine programs across the state of Georgia.
Spotlight
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
The essentials of IECMH are beautifully explained in this new GEEARS-produced video, featuring Callan Wells and other GEEARS partners such as Georgia Representative Katie Dempsey, and Georgia DECAL Commissioner, Amy Jacobs.
Watch the video to learn about. . .
- The behavioral science and neuroscience behind IECMH.
- The importance of addressing early childhood trauma right after it happens and building capacity for services like caregiver-child therapy.
- The formation of the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health (GA-AIMH).
- How GEEARS advocacy has substantively impacted Georgia’s IECMH policies.
The goal is to normalize infant and early childhood mental healthcare, making it as valued as pediatric well visits and vision and hearing screenings.
Ending the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
The United States government renewed the Public Health Emergency for 90 days. If COVID-19 trends continue or get better, this will be the last time it is renewed. If this is the last time, we will no longer be in a COVID-19 Public Health Emergency as of May 11, 2023.
What is the Public Health Emergency? The United States has been in a Public Health Emergency since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Things the government has done to protect people from COVID-19 have worked. The government is ready to end the Public Health Emergency.
(Download the easy-to-read/graphic-free version of the plain language summary. This version is suggested for individuals who use screen readers.)
#CopingWithCovid Campaign
The CLD and the HDI-KY team held listening sessions with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and families throughout the Southeast. We heard from them that resources were a priority to remain healthy and resilient during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. We listened to the community's voices and created the #CopingWithCovid Campaign.
The campaign highlights the barriers to mental health and resilience for people with co-occurring (behavioral health and developmental disability) diagnoses while also lifting concrete, accessible tools and strategies for community members to employ as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Read The Center for Leadership in Disability's statement against systemic racism.
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Media Contact
Gail Rodriguez
Communications Manager
Center for Leadership in Disability
School of Public Health
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Address
Center for Leadership in Disability
Urban Life Building
140 Decatur Street SE
Suite 140
Atlanta, GA 30303