We wish to establish a pool of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the skills and perspectives to actively contribute to the work of governance boards and advisory councils for state agencies and not-for-profit organizations.
With the growing power of the self-advocacy movement, there is increasing recognition by organizations of the importance and value of including individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities as full members of governance boards and advisory councils. One challenge many organizations face is recruiting members with the skills to participate meaningfully on governance boards and advisory councils; unfortunately, far too few individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities have had opportunities and experiences to prepare them to make meaningful contributions in governance and advisory roles.
This project intends to train individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate on governance boards and advisory councils. The Center for Leadership in Disability provides six days of face-to-face training over three weekends. Participants will consist of self-advocates who have already been through a comprehensive educational training on self-advocacy such as Advocacy 101, AADD/BDI Ambassadors, Partners in Policymaking and Voices that Count OR individuals who are already serving on a council or board. Participants are selected by an application process.
My Voice. My Participation. My Board
Part One: Self-Awareness & Self-Advocacy
Members and peer facilitators will be able to identify their purpose for being on a board and the supports needed to be a successful board member
Session 1: Why are you here?
Session 2: Understanding gifts & talents
Session 3: Effective Communication
Session 4: Becoming a Powerful Change Agent
Session 5: Professionalism
Part Two: Purpose and Components of Boards of Directors and Advisory Councils
Members and peer facilitators will be able to identify the characteristics of an effective board member and ways in which their unique gifts and talents fit in that role.
Session 6: Purpose of a Board of Directors/Advisory Council
Session 7: Responsibility of Boards of Directors and Advisory Councils
Session 8: Serving on a Board of Directors and Advisory Council
Session 9: Selecting the Board on Which to Serve
Part Three: Translating Knowledge into Practice
Members and peer facilitators will take the knowledge that they have gained in Part One & Part Two and practice the skills they have learned about.
Session 10: Networking
Session 11: Board and council meeting scenarios
We will be offering our flagship advocacy program called My Voice. My Participation. My Board. this fall. This program is considered a Tier 2 advocacy training, as it transitions from self-advocacy to advocacy on behalf of the disability community. A strong applicant is someone who has previously participated in an advocacy training or program.
We are currently accepting applicants for our 9th cohort. The program is scheduled to begin on August 27th and we will meet weekly on Fridays from 9-11 am throughout the fall.
Advocacy 101
This series contains two webinars and is intended for individuals who have had little-to-no previous training related to self-advocacy. Descriptions of the two webinars are below.
This webinar is 1.5 hours in length and addresses the following questions:
- What is self-advocacy?
- What does it mean to speak up for yourself and others?
- What is the difference between a want and a need?
- What are some important historical events within the self- advocacy movement?
- How do I get involved in self-advocacy in Georgia?
If interested in finding out more about advocacy/leadership trainings, please e-mail Molly Tucker at [email protected]
My Voice. My Participation. My Board. is a project of the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD). The CLD is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD) and manages a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program. CLD operates as a program within the School of Public Health at Georgia State University.
The My Voice. My Participation. My Board. curriculum was developed and produced under a contract with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Disabilities, Division of Developmental Disabilities, through a contract with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at The University of Georgia. The content and opinions herein do not, however, reflect the position or policy of the funding agencies and no official endorsement should be inferred.
Contact Us
Address
Center for Leadership in Disability
Urban Life Building
140 Decatur Street SE
Suite 140
Atlanta, GA 30303