FDDC Focus Groups
If you or a family member have a developmental disability, are you getting the supports and services you need to improve your quality of life?
If you are not receiving services, what do you think should be done to help you get services?
Come to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council focus groups and make your voices heard. The Council wants to hear from you at statewide focus group sessions where the Council will take questions and comments from individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers, and self-advocacy organizations. For more information about each focus group, click on the links below.
Jacksonville Focus Group
Orlando Focus Group
Pensacola Focus Group
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day 2010
Click here for more information
We Want to Hear from You
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc. has created two surveys, one for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and another for service providers, to help obtain input for the Council’s 2011-2016 State Plan. Please make your voice heard by completing a survey. Click here for more information.
Free Tax Preparation
In the 2009 tax year, the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc. piloted a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) tax initiative using their Tallahassee office as a mobile tax site. They targeted outreach to persons with disabilities in the Big Bend area of Florida. In the 2010 tax season, they are expanding the initiative to increase awareness of the existence of free tax preparation and increase awareness of the:
• Earned Income Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• The New Making Work Pay Credit
• First-Time Homebuyer Credit
Click Tax Preparation to get to the webpage on the Advocacy Center website.
Deadline Extended for 2010
Partners in Policymaking Registration
Click here for more information
Click here for more information on health care reform and the effect on individuals with disabilities.
Council Survey
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is conducting this survey to gather information on Floridians with disabilities and their families, specifically, how familiar Floridians are with the Council and its work. We are also asking that you provide information on the county where you live so that we can send you information on meetings, conferences and other issues that are specific to your area of the state. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey, which will help us better serve all Floridians. Click here to take the survey.
Disability.gov
The U.S. Department of Labor has launched Disability.gov, a redesigned federal Web site that connects the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities to thousands of trusted resources on disability-related issues, programs and services. Formerly known as DisabilityInfo.gov, the site has been completely redesigned and updated with new social media tools, such as a blog and a Twitter feed, to encourage feedback and interaction among visitors. Disability.gov is not just for Americans with disabilities, but also for parents of children with disabilities, employers, workforce and human resource professionals, veterans, educators, caregivers and many others.
Improvements to Disaster Plans for Individuals with Disabilities
Criag Fugate, Chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has announced that FEMA plans to publish a range of disaster guides in the next six months to cover planning for working with disabled populations, handling household pets, and setting evacuation plans during disasters. Click here for more information
Prepare Now Before a Disaster Strikes
Click Here for More Information
Governor Crist Urges Floridians to Prepare for Hurricane Season
Click Here for More Information
"Disaster Ready" - An Emergency Preparedness Guide for Floridians with Disabilities
This publication can help anyone prepare for a disaster, but includes specific information that is important for individuals with disabilities.
Download PDF
You can order copies of the guide by calling the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council at 1-800-580-7801 or click here , then locate the guide in the list of publications and order the guide online.