Hundreds of people will advocate to protect the quality of life of Floridians with developmental disabilities at the Capitol on Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day.
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) and the ARC of Florida are sponsoring these activities on March 23rd. Advocates will educate legislators about the importance of the services and programs currently available to people with developmental disabilities and their families.
Beginning at 8:30 a.m., attendees may visit exhibits to learn about Florida’s DD programs and services. These exhibits will be on the second floor Capitol Rotunda until 3:30 p.m.
At 11 a.m., advocates will join a rally and press conference in the Courtyard between the old and new Capitols. Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers have been invited to speak. FDDC will announce the recipient of its 2011 Idelio Valdes Leadership and Advocacy Award. ARC of Florida will give out its awards. A Tallahassee-based rock band will provide music and volunteers will serve lunch.
Other organizations planning to attend include:
- Agency for Persons with Disabilities,
- Florida Center for Inclusive Communities,
- Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology and
- Disability Rights Florida
For more information, contact Vanda Bowman at vandab@fddc.org or John Finch at arcflorida@gmail.com.