December 4, 2024
The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) wants to hear from families of people with developmental disabilities about their experiences with the developmental disabilities service system in New York. That’s why we are partnering with the Georgetown University Center for Cultural Competence to make sure that the voices of all families within our system are heard.
We want to hear from the families of people who are currently receiving services, have received services in the past, or families of people who are or have been unable to access supports and services.
We ask for your help to get the word out!
Please share the below information with your friends, advocacy groups, listservs and networks to get the word out to families of people with developmental disabilities in New York State.
Note: We will be partnering with Georgetown to host sessions with people receiving services at a later date. Registration information for those sessions will be circulated once it becomes available.
Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) will hold listening sessions (on Zoom and by telephone) for families of people with developmental disabilities. The listening sessions are intended to hear about your experiences in accessing supports and services:
- based on your family’s cultural beliefs and practices
- in your preferred language
- that are appropriate and fair
REGISTER FOR A FAMILY LISTENING SESSION NOW
Your experiences and insights are important. NCCC will listen to you and pass this information along to OPWDD. Your name will not be included in any of your comments. Sharing your thoughts and experiences will help OPWDD and its providers improve supports and services. To ensure accessibility, the sessions will be offered:
- In English and the 12 languages required by the New York State Language Access Law.
- In American Sign Language (ASL).
We understand the demands on your time. That's why we're offering sessions during the weekdays and on Saturdays to accommodate your schedules. We appreciate the time you will devote to participating in a listening session. We will offer participants a $25 electronic gift card (one per family) to honor your time. Space is limited! Register today and share with other families! If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call 202-784-0600.
Details about the Family Listening Sessions
The Virtual Family Listening Sessions will take place throughout January and February 2025. Additional information will be provided to families when they register.
If you have any questions regarding the Family Listening Sessions, please email us at [email protected].
Thank you in advance for sharing with your listservs and networks!
The Resource Bank offers a library of articles, videos, toolkits, and more to support your journey toward cultural competence, linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion within the developmental disabilities system. Dive in and discover the wealth of knowledge waiting for you!
To learn more about the OPWDD-NCCC Partnership for Systems Change, please visit the Georgetown University NCCC website.