FDDC Connections: December 2025

Message from Executive Director Valerie Breen: Happy Holidays!

As we close out 2025, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your guidance, commitment, and the heart you bring to your work, our partnerships, and the I/DD community. Even in a year of uncertain funding, your voices have kept us focused, steady and hopeful. Your perspectives and lived experiences make our work stronger, more informed, and more meaningful.

Looking to 2026, I am reminded that it is, has been, and always will be, our goal at the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council to champion the IDD community in the State of Florida. To that end, the council's legislative priority has a single overarching focus: preserving the right to choose the best, stable service delivery system that meets the individual needs of people with I/DD. 

Please look over the contents of this edition of Connections for more information and join us in Tallahassee on February 10th for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day!

Wishing each of you a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, rest, and connection.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Legislative Priorities for 2026

Each year the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council develops and approves a Legislative Platform that includes priorities identified by stakeholders, family members, and self-advocates.

Advocacy Resources for 2026

FACT SHEET



• Provides key information and statistics
• Serves as a leave behind for legislators and legislative aids
• Offers a helpful resource for those who want to learn more

TALKING POINTS



• Developed from FDDC’s priority and fact sheet
• Provides a personal way to highlight your positive experience
• Serves as a guide to help you effectively share your personal story

MY STORY



• An opportunity to share your own positive experience with legislators 
• Included on the back of the Talking Points and available on the FDDC website (link below)
• Can be shared in person, e-mail or through social media

WHAT WE'RE CELEBRATING

Special Education Day

December 2nd was National Special Education Day which marks the 1975 signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)!

This landmark legislation ensures students with special needs have access to free, high-quality education in public schools.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

For over 30 years, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities has served as a day to raise awareness and advocate for the rights, dignity, and well-being of individuals with disabilities.

MEDIA

"Our Work Matters" Podcast Series

"Our Care Matters" Video Spotlights

The "Our Care Matters" series has now reached over 720,000 video plays, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Your views, shares, and comments are helping ensure these stories—of Floridians with developmental disabilities and their caregivers—are amplified across Florida and beyond.

Thank you for standing with us and for being part of the change we’re working toward together.

Want to hear the stories from people in your community? Click the link below to watch the "Our Care Matters" videos and see how individuals from counties across Florida are sharing their experiences.

Sign-Up and Share

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www.fddc.org