Lansing, MI - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council (MiDDC) along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are recognizing March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is meant to raise awareness and educate the public about developmental disabilities and to recognize the strengths, abilities and important contributions of people with developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions that manifest before the age of 22 and result in a significant impairment in physical, learning, language or behavioral areas. Throughout the month, MiDDC will be sharing personal self-advocacy stories of those with developmental disabilities to help raise awareness about what living with a developmental disability means for approximately 180,000 residents in Michigan.
"MiDDC is proud to highlight our work advocating for improved community inclusion of people with developmental disabilities," said Vendella Collins, MiDDC executive director. "March is also an opportunity for us to bring greater public awareness to the ongoing work of full inclusion and integration of people with developmental disabilities into employment and typical community activities.”
As part of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, MiDDC will be co-hosting Disability Advocacy Day on March 7 with the Self-Advocates of Michigan. This event is for people with developmental disabilities to meet with their state legislators to discuss current issues impacting their lives.
MiDDC will also engage in various activities to improve public understanding and promote inclusion for people with developmental disabilities in our communities. Resources and information will be shared on Facebook. The public is invited to participate and follow on Facebook for updates using the hashtag #DDAM2023.
More information about upcoming events can be found at Michigan.gov/middcevents.