Al-DAN Conference

Last week I went to the annual Alabama Disability Advocacy Network conference in which speakers talked about what Al-DAN is and what it intends to do. AL-DAN is an advocacy network of individuals with both physical and developmental disabilities who represent themselves before the government in an effort to try to change policies around people with disabilities in the work place and in regards to their activities of daily living. The AL-DAN advocacy network is provided through a grant from the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities and is maintained by disability organizations such as the Alabama Centers for Independent Living.
Some of the main objectives that AL-DAN has for the year of 2010 that were discussed at the annual conference that I attended last week were: 1. having regional meetings/trainings 2. statewide summit 3. gubernatorial forum 4. provide information on voting rights, voting registration deadlines and legislative updates concerning people with disabilities 5. to have at least 500 AL-DAN members, at least 10 grassroots disability advocacy organizations with vested interest in disability issues. One of the major issues and an example of effective advocacy presented was a bill about placing $50 fines on vehicles for parking in handicap places and an advocacy group by the name of Disabilities Unlimited was handing out stickers about this advocacy effort that they are working on currently. Disabilities Unlimited is representing this issue with their advocacy group from Walker County Alabama. The Ability Alliance of West Alabama also had an employee Eloise Woods speak at the conference for the election of board advisors in which three people are selected from each county of Alabama to provide assistance to the Board of Directors for AL-DAN on disability issues and for attaining more memberships within AL-DAN as well.