Cross Disability Coalition Has Developed A Speakers Bureau

The Cross Disability Coalition has been working on the development of a Speakers Bureau to provide education/training on various topics to different audiences including people with disabilities, families, advocates, agency administrators and support staff, employers and the public.

“Public Education” and “Leadership Development” are two of the Priority Areas of the Coalition. The other two areas are “Employment” and “Accessibility”.

Coalition staff Tanja Blicker-Ucran, Deanne Gagne and Jack Ringland identified Members who had an interest in the various topic areas. People met and talked about information that would be important to include. Individual Powerpoint presentations with handouts were developed for each topic area (see the flyer below) with support from DDC Staff Sue Babin and Kevin Nerney. Specific Speakers from the Coalition were then identified for each presentation.

The presentation topic areas include:

• “You Are NOT Alone!” (Bullying)
• “Life Is Good!” (What does “Independence, Productivity, Integration/Inclusion, and Self-Determination” mean to people with disabilities?)
• “Employment Can WORK For You!”
• “Let’s Talk About Money” (Financial Education)
• “Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships and Keeping Safe”
• “Understanding My Human Rights”
• “Invest in Hiring People with Disabilities”
• “Sexual Abuse Awareness”
• “Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE Act)” (Tax Free Savings Accounts)
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• Person Centered Planning (“What is Person Centered Planning and HOW Can I Run My Own Meeting?”)

The RI Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) and the Cross Disability Coalition have worked collaboratively to develop this Speakers Bureau. We are very pleased with the presentations and proud of the work completed!

The Council has provided initial funding to support the start-up of the Speakers Bureau and payment to members for presentations made.

For more specific information on any of these topic areas or if you would like to have any of these presentations scheduled for a special event, group, meeting or your agency or organization, contact:

Click here to view the Speaker’s Bureau flyer