NYS launches multimedia campaign to highlight individuality of people with developmental disabilities

Campaign for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month promotes inclusion & stresses how each person makes their community stronger

The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) will highlighting the unique contributions of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities throughout March, which is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

A press release stated, “Much like the members of other minority groups that make New York state the diverse state that it is, people with developmental disabilities too often face obstacles that threaten their inclusion and full participation in their communities and society. Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness and further promote inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all areas of community life.”

Toward this end, the OPWDD is asking New Yorkers to get to know different individuals who have developmental disabilities each day of the month. The campaign, aptly called “One of A Kind” is online at www.opwdd.ny.gov/OneofAKind. Every day, an online calendar will reveal different people with a developmental disability, thereby encouraging visitors to reflect upon each person’s individuality and how their talents enhance the fabric of communities and state.

“This month we honor and celebrate the strengths of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities who’ve made our lives richer and our communities stronger and more diverse,” said OPWDD Acting Commissioner Theodore Kastner. “Each and every one us, whether we have a developmental disability or not, is ‘One of A Kind.’ But when you put all of us together, we become a powerful community.”

New Yorkers who want to help promote the campaign and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities are encouraged to share OPWDD’s “One of A Kind” webpage on their social media channels. People can also participate on social media by highlighting how they are “One of A Kind” using the hashtags #DDAwareness19, #NYSOPWDD and #OneofAKind19.