HISTORY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH
Before the 19th century, people with developmental disabilities were treated violently and lived in poor, unhygienic environments. Many were ‘passed on,’ a practice of carting off people to be dropped in another town. More awareness about developmental disabilities spread in this century both in England and in the U.S.
Social reformers such as Dorothy Dea became leading advocates of the human rights of people with disabilities. Other reformers and educationists such as Edouard Seguin believed in the benefits of sensory and muscular training to force the central nervous system to “take over” and perform duties that children were otherwise unable to. Maria Montessori was influenced by his methods while working with children with disabilities and other children. The nature of training and institutions continued to evolve over the century, leading to an adverse development. Custodial institutions started being established by the end of the century, which essentially segregated pupils from the rest of the community. It was only after the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1970s and 1980s that Ronald Reagan declared March the month for National Developmental Disabilities Awareness in 1987.
As the National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is observed this class of disabilities can refer to impairments in learning and behavior, such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and impairments in physical and/or intellectual functioning such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Down syndrome. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about including people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life. It also creates awareness of the difficulties that people with disabilities still face in fitting into the communities in which they live.
The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) and its partners collaborate to observe Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM). The social media campaign highlights the many ways in which people with and without disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of community life, as well as awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to the communities in which they live.
The 2022 theme, Worlds Imagined, focuses on how the world is changing as we move through and beyond the pandemic. With this theme, NACDD plans to highlight intersectionality and disability, as well as how people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) are living longer and more productive lives than ever before. The 2022 DDAM theme encourages exploration of new and ever-changing opportunities.
Article from https://acl.gov/news-and-events/events-and-observances/DDAM2022 and https://nationaltoday.com/national-developmental-disabilities-awareness-month/
NACDD’s DDAM logo features artwork by Calvin “Sonny” Clarke, selected from Art Enables. NACDD encourages others to use the image in their own branding and materials.
