Connie Mehlman • Cassie Mattia • Courtney Hineman
Loveland, Ohio – Did you know more than 6 million Americans have one or more developmental disabilities (DD)? That means about 15 percent of the United States population is living with DD. Over the few past decades, individuals with DD and DD advocates have been fighting for inclusion and equal opportunities within their communities and the workforce. Without help from leaders and social reformers like Dorothy Dix, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, to name a few, both National Developmental Disabilities Month and the Americans with Disabilities Act wouldn’t exist.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public announcement asking Americans to provide individuals with DD “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.” Reagan’s powerful message not only established the month of March as National DD Awareness Month, but his advocacy also led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being passed in 1990 by George Bush. The ADA officially made it illegal to discriminate against individuals with disabilities.
Once the ADA passed, DD advocates across the world began to take a stand, using their own experiences and success stories to promote equal rights. Although progress has been made in the DD community there are still many obstacles’ individuals with DD face every day. This is why National DD Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of those with DD and take the time to educate yourself and those surrounding you on the importance of including individuals with DD in all aspects of community life!
In light of this very special March celebration, I decided to invite two of the most respected DD advocates in Ohio, Community Connection Coordinator Connie Mehlman and Community Outreach Advocate Courtney Hineman, both with the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities to my Loveland Magazine TV Table of Discussions! Connie and Courtney have paved the way for inclusion and equality within the DD community giving them both a plethora of knowledge when it comes to educating others about how they too can advocate for individuals with DD.
I am pleased to present my latest Table of Discussions episode featuring Connie Mehlman and Courtney Hineman! Happy DD Awareness Month!
Check out Episode 1 of Courtney’s BCBDD VLOG, “Courtney Explains It All!”
The video below features Courtney as she discusses Neurodiversity with the BCBDD staff!
Below Courtney was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Best Buddies Ohio Annual Gala!
In celebration of National Developmental Disabilities Month, Courtney wrote an Opinion Editorial about what it’s like to live with developmental disabilities and how the community created equal opportunities for her.
Click here to read Courtney’s Op Ed, “I want others with disabilities to have opportunities like I had!”
The gallery of photos below was provided by the Butler County Board of DD and Cassie Mattia.
