LudTheAdventurer

I am grateful to serve as a self-advocate on the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (DD) Arkansas as a self-advocate with 22 other board members to support inclusion, independence, and integration of individuals with a DD into everyday society. I am grateful to the Governor appointing me vice-chair and I am thankful for the 22 peers who volunteer their time to advocate, plan, and put together a state plan to help make sure the DD community has a voice in Arkansas as well as a great staff and Executive Director who implement our plan day in and day out. This week is the Disability Policy Seminar in DC and am excited to be able to participate again in this. While I can not attend this year in person due to family and personal matters, I am looking forward to networking and participating in our delegation's hill visit's virtually. It is going to be a busy three days! I am looking forward to it! This is my hill visit from 2017 when I shared my story with Senator John Boozman of Arkansas!

Welcome to my first advocacy training video post. I hope to showcase more over time. I have meant to have more prior ones up here but have had difficulties uploading. This is my fifth in person advocacy training before a group my first hybrid training (zoom and in person) and first in person of some form since Covid hit. It is my third state address and fifth lecture before a group in Arkansas on advocacy and developmental disability issues. Previously I have given a speech to youth at a Community of Champions Event and at a gala at Jonesboro before a few hundred on life on the Spectrum, alongside two guest lectures to Pulaski Tech's 3D Culinary program. I have spoken at two national conferences one time on Assertiveness in Newport Beach with other disability self-advocates in the 90s and at the National Self Advocates Becoming Enabled COnference on the topic on how humor impacts social change and should be used as a tool in societal awareness on disability issues of inclusion and integration. This training is for the council of which I have been appointed Vice-chairperson. It is a training portions of which were pulled from my Jonesboro Gala and repackaged into a communication focused training on clear language and how that is important in our mission of inclusivity, integration and independence. Please share with others! #Developmentaldisabilities #Developmentaldisabilitymonth #awareness #advocacy #awareness #Training #Inclusivity #Language #Integration #Independence

Some of the most thrilling highlights of my day at the whitewater park riding the rapids lying on my back just wearing my life vest.