The Advocator

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

In the past, many people with developmental disabilities were left out of community life. Today, more people live, work, and learn together, but there is still work to be done.

We must protect this progress. We want a future where community living is funded and expected for everyone.

Share your "Then, Now, Always" story with NACDD:

- Then: What do you want people to know about the past?

- Always: What must always be true for people with disabilities in the future?

Together, our stories help protect rights and build better communities.

Submit your story and photo here: https://bit.ly/WereHereThenNowAlways

08/27/2026

What community based crisis support actually looks like. 📞

It's not a scary process, and it's not an ER waiting room. Here's how it actually plays out:

You call or text 988, and a trained crisis counselor in Alabama answers, day or night. No wait, no wrong reason to call.

A lot of calls get resolved right there on the phone. If you need more, a Crisis Team comes to you, not the other way around, and helps you de-escalate in person.

From there, you get a warm handoff to a local ACBH member provider for follow-up care, close to home.

Crisis support built around you, not the other way around.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988.

#988

08/14/2026

Please help us welcome the 2026–2027 Project SEARCH Interns! 🎉
We are so excited to have this amazing group join the program! We know this year will be filled with growth, new experiences, confidence-building, and valuable skill development.
We can already tell that these interns were made for this, and we can’t wait to see all they accomplish throughout the year! 💙
Welcome to Project SEARCH—we’re so glad you’re here! 🌟

08/14/2026

The image is a flyer for "White Cane Day," an event related to raising awareness about blind and visually impaired individuals.

The flyer has a light beige border with a muted greenish background in the middle. At the top are logos of two organizations:
1. ADRS - Vocational Rehabilitation Blind and Deaf Services
2. AIDB - Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, with the tagline "Deaf, Blind, Limitless."

The main text on the flyer is in large, bold letters and reads:

"WHITE CANE DAY"

Below "White Cane," there is a graphic of a pedestrian crossing zebra stripes with a simplified figure of a person walking with a white cane diagonally across the crossing.

On the left side, there's a starburst shape with the words "LUNCH PROVIDED" in capital letters.

On the right side, another starburst contains the words "WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU."

At the bottom left, the date and time of the event are given:
"OCTOBER 15, 2026
11:00AM - 1:00PM"

At the bottom right, the location details are listed:
"GREATER TALLADEGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
218 E. STREET SOUTH
TALLADEGA, AL 35160"

For White Cane Day T-shirt order form and description please follow this link https://www.wcdal.org/store/p1/tshirt.html #/

08/14/2026

We have three ACDD meetings coming up this week!

Aug. 13:
Public Policy, 1:00 PM CT
Program Planning, 2:30 PM CT

Aug. 14:
Full Council Meeting, 9:00 AM CT

We’d love to have you join us!

Join on Zoom and find meeting details here: https://www.acdd.org/event/upcoming-events-august-september/

08/12/2026

08/06/2026

The Arc of Shelby County is encouraging local businesses to partner with its Supported Employment Program, which connects qualified job seekers with development...