History

2003

• First meetings held
• Goals developed
  • To communicate ideas and common concerns, as well as notices of activities designed to promote the interests of persons with disabilities
  • To unite our voices and build a political power base to support broad based advocacy issues as well as agendas particular to issue-specific advocacy groups
  • To educate the legislature and to encourage individuals with disabilities to run for public office
  • To support candidates’ forums
  • To reach out to individuals who are young as well as seniors
  • To invite and include other individuals not presently involved
  • To engender passion in the cause of protecting and promoting our civil rights
  • Mailing list created
• Monthly “Disability Bulletin” began being published (Archives)

2004

• Mailing list expanded
• Paper entitled “An Outline of a Course of Action to Develop a Disability Advocacy Collaborative” submitted to thirty advocacy organizations
• Steering Committee organized; decides to meet monthly
• Goals developed
  • 2004 – improve communication and collaboration among disability advocacy organizations
  • 2005 – develop a mechanism for cross-disability self-advocacy training
  • 2006 – host a Disability Convention that will include candidates running for state and national office
• Grant proposal submitted to DD Council and funding in the amount of $27,970 awarded for 2005
• UCEDD agrees to provide office space and in-kind support, and cover four hours of Project Director’s time
• Communitas, Inc. agrees to serve as fiscal agent for Collaborative
• First Collaborative activity – a Voter Education Workshop – held in June
• Several Collaborative members attend Disability Convention in New Jersey

2005

• Letterhead and promotional flyer developed
• Mailing list continues to expand
• Regional organizational meetings held throughout state
• Plans begin for Disability Convention to be held September 16, 2006 – goal: 1000 attendees
• Application submitted for VISTA Volunteer position
• Collaborative begins planning a web site
• Disability Convention planners from New Jersey visit Connecticut to share experience they have had organizing Conventions
• Funding to support Convention secured from the SILC and Family Support/Self-Determination Planning Committee (DMR)
• Decision made to include exhibitors at Convention
• DD Council awards $50,000 in funding for 2006

2006

• VISTA Volunteer begins assignment, organizing Regional Advocacy Networks in the western parts of the state
• Web site developed
• Mailing list continues to expand
• Regional Advocacy Networks developed in Southwestern Connecticut, the Waterbury area, the Danbury area, Northwestern Connecticut, and the North Central area
• Corporation for Independent Living and the NEAT Marketplace step forward to offer significant in-kind support
• “The Bulletin” continued to be published during the first week of each month, and typically runs to 12-15 pages. A separate “Calendar of Events” was added as a complement to the Bulletin. Both publications, which are sent electronically to over a thousand advocacy organizations and individual advocates, are well received.
• To support the development of Regional Advocacy Networks, the Collaborative sponsored three-hour Advocacy Training workshops in Norwalk, Danbury, Waterbury, Willimantic, and Hartford. The workshops, which were attended by a total of 48 people, were conducted by Betty Gallo and Company. P&A and DMR provided funding.
• Meetings held with campaign staff for Gubernatorial candidates to explain Collaborative and invite candidates to Convention
• Youth Leadership Forum decides to promote Convention at its four day leadership development event in July
• Advocacy organizations surveyed and a six point Disability Agenda developed, to be presented to candidates for public office
• Convention takes place – 800 people attend! Eighty exhibitors showcase their wares; eight candidates for public office speak (John DeStefano, Ned Lamont, Scott McLean, Joe Courtney, Clifford Thornton, Richard Blumenthal, Susan Bysiewicz, and Jonathan Harris); Greg Smith, nationally known motivational speaker who hosts the “On a Roll” radio show joined us for the day
• A Program was developed for the Convention with the names of vendor businesses and agencies listed, as well as recognition of Convention sponsors. The Program included disability resource information with an emphasis on community organizing and voting.

2007

• The Steering Committee for the Collaborative continues to meet monthly, as it has since its inception. The Committee is comprised of twenty-two individuals, is cross-disability, spans the age spectrum, represents diverse populations, and includes families as well as adults with disabilities. The initiatives of the Collaborative are driven by the Steering Committee.
• A Regional Advocacy Network is organized in Mansfield; there are now six functioning networks in the state
• Web site is redesigned and enhanced
• Mailing lists reorganized
• Collaborative testifies before state legislature on bills of importance to children and adults with disabilities
• Collaborative joins with the Connecticut Association of Centers for Independent Living (CACIL) to advocate for additional slots for PCA waiver
• Planning begins for structuring and funding the Collaborative beyond the termination of the DD Council grant on December 31, 2007
• Planning begins for Road to Freedom Tour, which will visit Connecticut from October 14-16
• Planning begins for future offerings of leadership development opportunities to youth and adults with disabilities, as well as to families
  
  
   

The Collaborative is supported by a grant the CT Disability Advocacy Collaborative received from the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities. In addition, in-kind support is being provided by the UConn Center on Disability, and Communitas, Inc. serves as the project’s fiscal agent. To all three we extend our appreciation.

© CT Disability Advocacy Collaborative 2007 All Rights Reserved.