Governor's Office of Disability Affairs December 2022

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GOLD Awards and Inclusive Art Contest to be held December 7

Governor's Outstanding Leadership in Disabilities (GOLD) Awards and the Inclusive Art Program will be held on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at the Old State Capitol. The Inclusive Art Program will be held at 1pm followed by the GOLD Awards at 2pm.

This year’s program will be livestreamed on the Governor's Office of

Community Programs' YouTube channel as well as shown on local public stations across the state in the months following the GOLD Awards.

The recipients of the 2022 GOLD Awards and Inclusive Art Contest are:

2022 GOLD Award Recipients

Distinguished Merit Award  

Kathy Dwyer of Metarie

Patsy Barrett Memorial Award  

Lynn Stevens of Shreveport

Ken Vince Memorial Award   

David Green of New Orleans

Educator of the Year Award 

Charles Michel, EdD of Gray

April Dunn Youth of the Year Award  

Garrison St. Martin

Family of the Year Award

The Billings-Roger Family of Baton Rouge

Volunteer of the Year Award        

Kathleen Cannino of Covington 

Direct Support Person of Year Award   

Rodricka Winn of Shreveport

Elected Official of the Year Award  

Representative Rodney Lyons of Harvey

Public Servant of the Year Award

John Schweitzer, PhD of Baton Rouge

Service Provider of the Year Award

Family & Youth Counseling of Lake Charles

Veteran of the Year Award

SGT Billy Robbins of Gonzales

Employer of the Year Award

Susan Riehn with Families Helping Families of SWLA

2021 Inclusive Art Contest Award Recipients

 K-4^th Grade Division

First Place- Jordan McGee

Second Place- Mia Hunter

Third Place- Julian Brady

5^{th- 8th} Grade Division

First Place- Fischer Ahrens

Second Place- Bailey Ann Bumblis

Third Place- Nyla Reynolds

9^th- 10^th Grade Division

First Place- Amy Do

Second Place- Madelyn McKearon

Third Place- Kaitlyn Meche

11^th- 12^th Grade Division

First Place- Teagan Griffin

Second Place- Amelie Wilson

Third Place- Tia Evans

Adult Division

First Place- Bonnie Dempster

Second Place- Hailey Enamorado

Third Place- Xavier Johnson

Register to attend at the link provided: https://forms.gle/iZ76Bw9WSbCfJdAA6

OR

Watch the ceremony live on the Governor's Office of Community Programs YouTube channel, by clicking the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/@governorsofficeofcommunity7474

For more information please email: disability.affairs@la.gov.

WBRZ- Governor John Bel Edwards signs apology to two Southern students killed 50 years ago

Louisiana Radio Network- Governor Edwards says there’s still more to be done before his term ends

The Advocate- John Bel Edwards seeks federal emergency declaration for Louisiana farmers. Here's why.

Office of the Governor- Take Five: Louisiana Breaks Lowest Unemployment

Rate Record, Again

L'Observateur- Gov. Signs Executive Order to Increase Access to Funding for Women and Minority Businesses

As we head into December, expect to see the governor celebrate and thank community leaders who embody the spirit of giving and loving our neighbors. 

With the holidays upon us, our office has been busy working to highlight the needs of many of our neighbors during what can often be a difficult time for families. Gov. Edwards recently visited the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank to raise awareness about the issue of food insecurity in our state. The need is great. That's why he is asking everyone who can to please consider donating to a food bank in your community. There are numerous organizations throughout the state and any bit helps during this busy time of year.

It’s always great to be able to lead into the holidays with some good news, and last week, our office announced, once again, that Louisiana's unemployment rate has broken records. This is the fifth month in a row we have set a new unemployment rate in state history, and Louisiana's unemployment rate is now significantly lower than the national rate.

Instagram: Record-Breaking Low Unemployment Five Months in a Row.

Last week, Gov. Edwards signed a formal apology to the families of two Southern University students killed 50 years ago, Leonard Brown and Denver Smith, as well as the nine student leaders whose lives were also deeply impacted. On November 16, 1972, Brown and, both just twenty years old, were senselessly and unjustly killed when a law enforcement officer, who has never been identified or prosecuted, fired into a crowd of students fleeing from tear gas. As the Governor said, “.. it is right and just for Louisiana to try to make amends. In those dark times, our State failed to uphold its highest ideals.”

In-Person Trainings & Webinar November-January 2022-2023

SICKLE CELL EXPO

The Sickle Cell Consortium prides itself in supporting Entrepreneurs in the Sickle Cell Community. Whether a writer, artist, musician, designer, or filmmaker, we want to support you and your efforts by showcasing your work online and during the Sickle Cell Virtual Expo on Dec. 9th and 10th, 2022.  

The Sickle Cell Consortium has a Film!!! We are excited to premiere the CRISIS FILM next week during the Sickle Cell Expo! More information will be coming soon. Be sure to stay connected for the details!

The Health Equity Project Team at the World Institute on Disability (WID) is pleased to share a series of disability and health equity training modules! These training modules were developed in response to the June-July survey assessing the barriers and challenges experienced by public health, health, and emergency response professionals when assisting or providing services to people with disabilities during disasters or public health emergencies.  

The training modules may be accessed through the WID website or through YouTube. Links to both options are included below.

The videos can all be found on our WID website at the following link: https://wid.org/strategies-for-equitable-access-to-vaccinations-and-inclusive-disaster-response-doh/

The individual videos can also be found on YouTube at the following links:

1. Introduction to Disability and Health Equity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxgDQ1l0bPE
2. Developing Accessible Information and Materials  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRBiwl4-EUg
3. Accessible Facilities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nappvQpVFfc
4. Planning for and Providing Reasonable Accommodations: https://youtu.be/1jzg1FokgAA

We know this is a busy time of year, and greatly appreciate your efforts to watch and/or share the training modules. Please consider completing the evaluation at the end of each module as that allows us to collect feedback and make future improvements. Thank you for your dedication to improving health outcomes and health equity for individuals with disabilities in your community and the broader disability population.

Thousands of Louisiana families can access high-quality tutoring services for their children thanks to the Steve Carter Literacy Tutoring Program. This new program is for qualifying students in grades K-5. Leave us your contact information to be notified when the student registration portal opens.

What is the Steve Carter Literacy Tutoring Program?

The Steve Carter Literacy Tutoring Program provides $1,000 digital tutoring vouchers to eligible students to be utilized for literacy tutoring provided by LDOE approved tutoring vendors. Vouchers are for the 2022-23 school year.

How do I know if my child is eligible?

This program is for eligible public school students in grades K-5. Students in grades K-3 are eligible if they scored below proficient on their beginning of year screener. Students in grades 4-5 are eligible if they scored below Mastery in ELA on the spring 2022 LEAP assessment. Families who are unsure of how their child scored should contact their school for additional information.

What information will I need to register?

When registering, families will use the student’s 10 digit LASID number. If a family does not know this information, they should contact their school.

Who will provide the tutoring sessions?

This program connects families with tutors who have been approved through the Louisiana Department of Education. Tutors are certified teachers in elementary or reading or have a degree in education, English, or another subject indicative of expertise in reading and literacy.

How do I select a tutor?

Families will utilize our online portal to choose from the approved list of tutoring providers. In some cases, your child’s school district may be a tutoring provider.

How can I learn when the student portal opens?

Families can share their contact information through this form to be notified when the student registration portal opens.

CLICK HERE to leave us your contact information

Book of the Month: 

Demystifying Disability

What to Know, What to Say,

and How to be an Ally

Authored by celebrated disability rights advocate, speaker, and writer Emily Ladau, this practical, intersectional guide offers all readers a welcoming place to understand disability as part of the human experience

People with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, an estimated 15 percent of the global population. But many of us—disabled and nondisabled alike—don’t know how to act, what to say, or how to be an ally to the disability community. Demystifying Disability is a friendly handbook on the important disability issues you need to know about, including:

• How to appropriately think, talk, and ask about disability

• Recognizing and avoiding ableism (discrimination toward disabled people)

• Practicing good disability etiquette

• Ensuring accessibility becomes your standard practice, from everyday communication to planning special events

• Appreciating disability history and identity

• Identifying and speaking up about disability stereotypes in media

The Governor's Advisory Council on Disability Affairs (GACDA) will hold its quarterly meetings December 12-15. The GACDA Meetings are scheduled as follows:

Full Council Meeting is Thursday, December 15,10:00 am     

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83000688514?pwd=dVpNWXZzQWROY3dNQkdyUGV2MVo0dz09     Password: 911983

Press Room on the 4th Floor of the Louisiana State Capitol

Education Committee   Monday, December 12 at 12:00 pm    

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86294313010?pwd=cG5UT0Y5cFBtVTBlb0pFcENTRHl2dz09     Password: 319496

Accessibility Committee   Monday, December 12 at 2:30 pm        

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81940242156?pwd=eXp5Tm1HM1U0SUJHQ1p5cUUranJqQT09     Password: 853874

Legislative Committee  Wednesday, December 14 at 2:30 pm 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83623133787?pwd=OXRRZ0RMQVZ1b29OVER1ejV0YWFrdz09    Password: 199042

This number can be used to call into all meetings:   

602-333-0032   Conference code: 523927