The #TOGETHER Campaign

Thank you for accepting people as they are!

Showing kindness, and including people in your life who are different, makes the world a better and more compassionate place to live. The #TOGETHER campaign promotes respect, inclusion, and acceptance of all people, but especially people with developmental disabilities. Please join us in spreading awareness and share your experiences and photos of living better #TOGETHER.

Benefits of an Inclusive Community

• develops an appreciation that everyone has unique characteristics and abilities
• develops respect for others with diverse characteristics and sensitivity toward others’ limitations
• develops feelings of empowerment and the ability to make a difference
• develops empathetic skills
• provides opportunities to vicariously put your feet in another person’s shoes
• enhances appreciation for the diversity of the human family
• promotes the civil rights of all individuals
• supports the social value of equality
• teaches socialization and collaborative skills
• builds supportiveness and interdependence
• maximizes social peace
• provides children a miniature model of the democratic process

What can you do?

Support the employment goals of individuals with developmental disabilities. People with developmental disabilities are hard workers, committed to doing a good job, and reliable about showing up for work, being on time, and getting their work done. Currently, we have more than 100 individuals successfully employed in the community, paying taxes, and being responsible citizens. Employers can learn more about the benefits of employing people with disabilities or begin the process of hiring a person with a disability by contacting the Community Connections and Employment Department at (937) 346-0755.

Raise awareness about people with Developmental Disabilities by encouraging a greater understanding among people without a disability with the people you know.

Learn more about people with disabilities by watching a movie, like “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” or “The Fundamentals of Caring,” or by reading a book, like “If At Birth You Don’t Succeed: My adventures with disaster and destiny,” or “Criptionary: Disability Humor and Satire.”

Volunteer for a local group that serves people with disabilities, like Special Olympics.

Use “People First Language.” PFL puts the person before the disability, and describes what a person has, not who a person is. PFL uses phrases such as “person with a disability,” “individuals with disabilities,” and “children with disabilities,” as opposed to phrases that identify people based solely on their disability, such as “the disabled.”

If you are a parent or grandparent, teach your (grand)children that everyone is a little different, but make it clear that just because someone is different, that doesn’t make that person bad. Then, show your child how to talk about those differences in a respectful manner. Read age-appropriate books about disabilities, and look for TV shows that address specific conditions. Sesame Street, for example, depicts a Muppet named Julia who has autism.

Become friends with a person with a disability. Hang out with him/her and do things that are fun for the both of you. If you are already a friend or family member of a person with DD, make plans to enjoy a fun activity together in public and take the opportunity to show others that we’re all not so different after all.