Here's a shout out for Diversity!

For many years now, I have been involved with volunteer opportunities regarding Disability Advocacy. I have served on Boards, Councils and with support groups. I have seen how slowly the wheels of progress and understanding move but I have been able to SEE those wheels move towards a better awareness and understand of the needs, hopes and dreams of people who live their daily lives with challenges.

About 2 years ago, I received a notice through one of the information agencies that keeps me and many other volunteers posted about things happening in the community. The notice was about the formation of The Diversity Advisory Council for the county in which I live. They were asking for volunteers who were willing to represent their different diversities, ranging from ethnic cultural, to children at risk and, those who could represent the disability community. In order to qualify, we were asked to write a short essay on the who, whys, what and wheres of our belief that we should be part of this new experiment in working towards community togetherness. Although I could have chosen my diversity to be that of being a woman, or a Jewish lady or one of the fast becoming elderly, I chose to continue what has become second nature to me, that is to represent the disabled community.

About 6 months went by until I received a letter from the Board of County Commissioners asking me to accept an appointment to the Diversity Advisory Council. I was surprised pleasantly, I thought it would be a great adventure to work with people representing so many different cultures, issues and ideas. On January 5, 2014, I attended my first DAC meeting. It has been an awesome learning experience from understanding how government on the county level works, to learning very quickly that the DAC has much to do and many ideas to incorporate into something that has the ability to provide a space where the community can come and be together, not to have the community absorb the differences but to be able to celebrate them and work together to help us "bridge the gaps" so that we can truly become a community made up of differences that finish the puzzle with everyone needing each other to complete a beautiful image.

For the first 6 months, we worked to create a Strategic Plan, which gave us the framework by which we would work, It was a struggle just due to all the unique issues facing each of the diversities we represent. We spent long evenings "hashing out" the language we needed to provide and the understanding of what we planned to do and how we planned to do it. We developed a mission for the DAC, a budget for the expenses and the formation of 3 specific sub-committees which has become the "machine" that puts it all into action.

As a result, in a few months we will have our first Community Organizations Summit with the purpose being to introduce ourselves to the organizations who work day to day with diversities, find out their needs and ideas so that we can compile the statistics and report back to the Board of County Commissioners along with the DAC's recommendations of how best to provide a better way for all people in the county to work together. Among the groups and organizations to be invited will be a large contingent from the disability community. It is exciting to know that those of us who have seen little goals reached will have the opportunity to now see an even larger potential to provide awareness, as well as, a greater opportunity to become part of the community instead of being on the fringe. I am excited and hopeful about the DAC's vision for the future. The dream is that the DAC will become an integral part of city, county and state governments throughout the country.

The DAC is hard work yet remarkably rewarding as well, it provides hope that we all can grow strong by the contributions we each offer in making our community one that works together for a better present and greater future.

Throughout the country, although not part of government, there is an organization called the National Diversity Council, many state have Diversity Advisory Councils for the purpose of advising and carrying out the mission of the NDC. The more present the disability community can be in these councils, the more our voices will be heard and the needs of our loved ones will be met, please encourage your town and county government to think about the formation of DACs, it is amazing how much can be done when we all work together.

[caption id="attachment_7170" align="alignnone" width="500"] Well known Christian singer, Jessica Bittner and Her two adopted children and a new friend who joined them from the audience to sing. Since then, they have 3 more children added to their little slice of diversity. They are so wonderful to see.[/caption]