March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions people with developmental disabilities make to our society.

The National Association of Councils on Developmental
Disabilities (NACDD), Association of University Centers on
Disabilities and National Disability Rights Network have
partnered to launch a social media campaign called “Life Side-by-Side” to highlight the many ways in which people with and without developmental disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities.

The RI Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) and the RI Cross Disability Coalition became involved with this project a year ago and shared some stories of people in RI. We are also involved this year and want to share even more success stories of individuals! So anyone who wants to join in, jump in and help us spread the word about Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month!

The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life, tell the personal stories of people who live with a disability and how they are involved in their communities as well as the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to their communities. Throughout the month, the Council and NACDD will be posting resources from various DD Council and states on social media including videos, blogs, toolkits and other shareable content.

You can be a part of this campaign by:

• Submitting to the RI Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) any stories (just a couple of short paragraphs), photos, videos, and/or blogs that we can share with NACDD about an individual with a disability who is involved and connected in the community
• Download a “Life Side by Side” graphics to use on social media or in your e-mail signature.

Visit the #DDAwareness17 page for more information on the campaign.