NASDDDS Blog: Global Leadership Exchange 2024
By Mary Sowers, NASDDDS Executive Director
In June, NASDDDS Board President, Mary Brogan, and I had the privilege of traveling to The Netherlands to participate in the Global Leadership Exchange (GLE). The GLE is an international organization representing 13 countries that creates opportunities for people to share their leadership experiences and insights to help find solutions to overcome challenges and improve health; well-being; and, services for people with disabilities, mental health, and/or substance use support needs. Through small and large meetings, we learned about the shared challenges and strengths each country encounters in supporting people with disabilities. We had the opportunity to engage in deep conversations on elevating the voices and roles of people with lived experiences in our service systems, recognizing that representation not only matters but is essential. Mary Brogan led a discussion on values, culture, and inclusion pertaining to indigenous people. I was honored to join Jennifer Johnson from the Administration for Community Living on a panel related to supporting people with co-occurring I/DD and mental health support needs, an internationally shared priority. Our hope is to build a worldwide network to ensure that people with disabilities who also experience mental health conditions are included in shaping mental health policies and practices.
I left the meeting with a sense of pride in the work of NASDDDS’ members across the United States to support people with I/DD to have good lives in their communities and a recognition that we have more work to do. As we approach the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is much to celebrate around accessibility in this country; however, we know that accessibility is not experienced equally by all people. Individuals with I/DD still experience poorer health outcomes and greater challenges in accessing mental health treatment than people without I/DD. Individuals from underserved or marginalized communities remain disconnected and underrepresented by our systems of support. And, as our nation strives to design supports that reflect the multifaceted experiences of people, we need vigilance to ensure that we continue progress toward community living for all while working toward removing health and wellness disparities which continue to plague our communities.
The engagement with the GLE has spotlighted the power of global collaboration and strategy on ensuring that all people, regardless of their backgrounds or support needs, have a voice in shaping policy and leading practice. We have much to learn and much to share with our international community and I look forward to a continued dialogue to inform our own best practices for NASDDDS members and the systems they support. To quote the great Justin Dart considered to be one of the founders of the ADA, “The ADA is only the beginning. It is not a solution. Rather, it is an essential foundation on which solutions will be constructed.” I look forward to furthering this progress as we look toward the future of the ADA and the future of truly individualized, effective, and multi-faceted supports for all people with disabilities in our country and our world.