Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Ed Roberts, Activist

Dr. William Bronston: Ed's Impact Internationally

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Dr. William Bronston: He was very clear the magnitude, the impact that he had on people. And he would talk about the magnitude of impact that he had on them. He would explain the magic trick, how it worked. You know, what he was going to do to change them. And it worked.

When he was in Japan, it was amazing because people live in worlds of such diminution, such disappearance, such oppression, such subordination, such lack of respect, such low expectations, which is… expectations are everything in terms of what you wind up becoming. So in Japan, there's a world, you know, and it's very rigid and very clear and people with disabilities have a very clear role in that world.

When he was in Australia, the same kind of a thing…

I mean, he went to places and he met with people who never in their lives, never in their families' lives, in their ancestors' lives had a breath of fresh air that essentially affirmed their status in their cultures. And it was a worldwide supportive culture. through worldwide organization. That his presence essentially affirmed, you know, validated. And the result was amazing changes.

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The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

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