The Shadow
Dear Editor,
Alleghany Highlands Community Services wants the community to know that March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
Since 1987, March has been designated National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month by President Ronald Reagan.
During this month, we celebrate the many contributions individuals with developmental disabilities make to our society.
So much has changed since 1987 for the individuals that we serve.
More and more individuals with intellectual and development disabilities (I/DD) are living and thriving in their communities rather than institutions.
There are more opportunities to foster inclusion in education and employment and to secure protections in health care, the legal system and other areas of human rights.
There are also more positive and accurate portrayals of individuals with I/DD in the media, arts and many other platforms.
Yet, we can never forget that many of these advancements were hard won.
Self-advocacy and support on behalf of those with I/DD was the motivation for many of the positive changes in our society, but there is still more progress to be made.
Alleghany Highlands Community Services en-courages all citizens of Alleghany County, city of Covington and Clifton Forge to give full support of efforts toward enabling all individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live full and productive lives in the community.
We’re proud to honor those we serve and to celebrate the work that we do.
Sincerely,
Ingrid W. Barber
Executive Director, Alleghany Highlands Community Services, E. Hawthorne Street, Covington
