March 1, 2019 – The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) will be highlighting the unique contributions of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities throughout the month of March, which is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. 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” launches March 1 at 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 our communities and our 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 themselves are “One of A Kind” using the hashtags #DDAwareness19, #NYSOPWDD and #OneofAKind19.

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Attachment – list of individuals being highlighted each day

* If you would like to follow-up with one of the featured individuals, please email OPWDD at communications.office@opwdd.ny.gov and we will put you in touch with that person.