GAO -- Advocacy for People with Developmental Disabilities



Protection and Advocacy for People with
Developmental Disabilities

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Advocacy is provided to citizens with developmental disabilities throughout Georgia. A developmental disability refers to a severe, chronic disability which is (a) attributable to a mental or physical impairment, (b) manifested prior to age 22, (c) likely to continue indefinitely, (d) resulting in substantial limitations in at least three of seven major life functions, and (e) requiring services for an extended period of time.

The priorities of the PADD program are (1) to protect individuals with developmental disabilities from, and to pursue a remedy for, incidents of abuse and/or neglect; (2) to respond to allegations of discrimination and legal rights violations of individuals with developmental disabilities in Georgia; and (3) to recruit and engage ordinary citizens as advocates for individuals with developmental disabilities in Georgia.

In addition to the work done out of the Georgia Advocacy Office, we support Citizen Advocacy offices in eight local communities. The local offices recruit, match, train and give assistance to citizen advocates in Atlanta, DeKalb County, Macon, Baldwin County, Savannah, Gainesville, Augusta, and Athens. Each year the PADD program provides advocacy to at least 500 individuals, provides information and referral to approximately 1,000 people, and sends out over 3,000 publications to interested citizens throughout the state.

For a general description and philosophy of this program please see the brochure