OCDD 2025 Holiday Message and Recap Video Transcript

Happy Holidays from the Oregon  Council on Developmental Disabilities!

This season is different for everyone.

But no matter how this time of year looks for you,

We wish you peace and joy.

As we wrap up 2025,

we want to celebrate the amazing  work we’ve done together.

Thank you to self-advocates, families,  community and state partners,

and all our friends in the intellectual  and developmental disability community,  

for everything you’ve contributed  to our work this year.

So, let’s take a look at what we  accomplished together in 2025.

Our 2025 DD Awareness Poster  and campaign toolkit was

used and shared across the state by  people with developmental disabilities,

family members, and community parters.

We also held the first in-person  DD awareness event in years!

I came to believe that when we lead with a dream,

what came be accomplished is limitless.

My challenge to each of us today,

including ourselves,

Be an advocate for dreaming.

Recognize that dreams are the portal to freedom.

Believe that an extraordinary  life is possible for everyone.

But understand that even though it begins

with the dream, it’s only  through courageous, tough,

and persistent effort that it becomes a reality.

and we collected and shared

more than 50 different “I am always” messages.

Examples include I am always a leader,

I am always an advocate,

I am always a person.

We also completed many projects.

Including the Employment  Toolkit for state agencies

hiring people with developmental disabilities.

A comprehensive dual diagnosis report.

with recommendations to address  the gap that exists in services

for those that have developmental  disabilities and need mental health supports

And the Spanish language resource guide

of language accessible DD  resources listed by county

that we developed in collaboration with the  

Spanish Language Leaders Group  of parents of children with IDD

and Grapevine, a community  trusted translation organization.

We supported 32 advocates with  developmental disabilities

and families to tell their stories

at 22 meetings with  legislators in Salem or online.

And when in person and online  testimony wasn’t accessible,

we supported advocates to capture  and submit their recorded testimony.

When the battery in my wheelchair  stopped working last year,

I became homebound for six months.

because of the time I had to  wait for a new one (battery).

I lost my independence at  home and in the community.

And we supported and presented at  several developmental disability events,

including Legislative Go! Days,

The Arc Self-Advocacy Conference,

The Inclusive Leadership Summit,

The Employment First Summit,

and the Case Management Conference.

And we go nearly 800 responses

to our 5-year plan public input survey.

Thank you for watching our Year in Review!

This was just a small sample  of all we accomplished in 2025!

And thank you for being part of our community

and for helping make 2025 a memorable  year of progress and belonging.

We look forward to continuing this  important work with you in 2026.

From all of us at the Oregon Council  on Developmental Disabilities,

we wish you peace, joy, and  connection in the year ahead!