A Message from CEO Erik Geizer (Continued)
HISTORIC EVENTS 33rd Anniversary of the ADA
State Timeline Exhibit
As part of the “Look Beyond My Developmental Disability” campaign, OPWDD and NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) (formerly the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council), launched a timeline exhibit, which featured key historical events that affected New Yorkers with developmental disabilities. As part of the exhibit, the CDD also released a half-hour documentary, “The Path Forward: Remembering Willowbrook,” which shares the legacy of the Willowbrook State School and the reforms that resulted. The powerful exhibit was displayed throughout the summer, and the documentary can be viewed here.
Over the summer, I was invited to a celebration at the Governor’s Mansion to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public places. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA provides civil rights protections for individuals with disabilities, similar to those granted to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. Governor Kathy Hochul spoke about the importance of upholding the ADA. She also announced the state's new anti-stigma campaign, “Look Beyond My Developmental Disability.” The campaign was spurred by legislation Governor Hochul signed in 2022 directing the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to develop and implement a public awareness campaign that combats discrimination, stigma and stereotyping of people with developmental disabilities.
Pictured with Vicky Hiffa, Acting Executive Director for the Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD)
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