Mayor Bowser to Celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month at Third Annual Advocate for Equity Awards

(Washington, DC) - On Thursday, March 26 at 4 pm, Mayor Muriel Bowser will join District leaders, disability service providers, and self-advocates at the District's Third Annual Advocate for Equity Awards-the culminating event in DC's monthlong celebration of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

The Advocate for Equity Awards honor the contributions of individuals and businesses that demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing disability rights, inclusion, and equity across the District of Columbia. This year, several individuals and organizations will be recognized for their efforts to advance disability rights, including Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau; Rachel Brady, Assistant Professor and Physical Therapist at the Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; Claudia Payne, parent, longtime supporter, and ally to Project ACTION!; and SchoolTalk, a nonprofit that supports the DC education community in collaboratively addressing complex challenges facing students with disabilities.

This event is the capstone for the District's Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month celebrations. Since 2015, the District has made great strides in changing the culture of disability services in the District. Progress includes:

• Expanding Department on Disability Services (DDS) services to include people with developmental disabilities, in addition to those with intellectual disabilities.
• Consistently working to hire people with disabilities at all levels of District government.
• Creating significant changes in disability services that, in 2017, resulted in the formal end of the 40-year class action lawsuit, Evans v. Bowser.
• Opening the Joy Evans Therapeutic Recreation Center in 2024-a $40 million investment in Ward 7 to provide services that enhance physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being.

In Fiscal Year 2025, DDS served more than 2,500 residents through its Developmental Disabilities Administration, and the agency's Rehabilitation Services Administration supported more than 5,300 residents, with more than 250 individuals securing employment in high-demand fields such as hospitality, transportation, and healthcare. For more information about the Department on Disability Services, visit dds.dc.gov.

When:
Thursday, March 26, at 4 pm (event starts at 3 pm)

Who:

Mayor Muriel Bowser

Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, Ward 1

Andrew Reese, Director, Department on Disability Services

Peter Stephan, Interim Director, Office of Disability Rights

The DC Developmental Disabilities Council
Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities

Where:
DC Department on Disability Services

250 E Street SW

*Closest Metro Center: Federal Center SW*

*Closest Bikeshare: 4th & E St SW*

Press interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP to [email protected].

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