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.

Media Forum

18. Building on the Dialogue

[Robb Leer] We have kick-started this discussion today, okay? We are not going to get to everybody's question. We're not going to get all the answers.

But what I hope that we've done today is to build on the dialogue.

There are some critiques in front of you. We need to hear from you that we will have an opportunity to do this again.

And I want to just give everybody a chance to give a round of applause to our panelists for being here today.

[Applause]

I hope your takeaway… Oh, very nice. The only time they ever see a standing ovation is when they leave the newsroom for the last time.

If you're a good reporter, you're a pain in ass, okay? These guys are all a pain in the ass.

No. All kidding aside, we want to continue this conversation. I hope your takeaway today is these reporters want to connect with you.

They want to know more about the stories. They want to know more about the issues that you're living with every day.

And I think the fact that they all showed up today speaks to that, but we need to know this is just the beginning and let's begin those conversations.

And not every little story you pitch is going to end up in the paper or on television, but it's going to continue the dialogue and hopefully we'll have better outcomes.

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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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