Each year at the Buddy Walk on Washington, NDSS honors members of the Down syndrome community and their accomplishments as advocates. The 2010 honorees were:

 

The Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition (MDAC) was formed in September 2008 and the group chose Universal Design for Learning, postsecondary and self determination issues as its main priorities. MDAC has successfully passed a state UDL bill. They built a coalition of 34 general education and disability organizations to support the bill and are in the process of developing a template of documents and strategies that other states can replicate. In addition, a member of MDAC is on a state committee to create a four year postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities.

 

Down Syndrome Indiana GAC is creating a strong, coherent focus on government affairs among the Down Syndrome affiliates in Indiana. The GAC has been successful in getting a GAC member on their State Disability Advisory Council. They have targeted a flaw in the state’s pre-school/day care system which allows certain facilities to fall outside the purview of monitoring and are working to correct this problem through legislation. Currently, the GAC has taken on the responsibility of scrutinizing community-based childhood centers to ensure that they meet all requirements to be registered by the state. The Down Syndrome Indiana GAC has partnered with the ARC of Indiana to develop advocacy days that take place in their state. In addition, the GAC has initiated a campaign to get more affiliate members signed up to receive action alerts and other communication from the NDSS Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and other national disability organizations.

 

John Anton As a self-advocate, John has been an exemplary advocate in Massachusetts, working with legislators, policy makers, and disability advocates to support legislation that improves the lives and protects the rights of people with Down syndrome over 10 years. He has been Chairperson for Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) for four years, serving as a spokesperson for over 2,000 self-advocates across Massachusetts. He has developed a legislative advocacy training series for self-advocates across Massachusetts through his fellowship sponsored by the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities’ Council. He has attended and testified at over 36 legislative meetings and held an internship with Representative Tom Sannicandro, where John works to provide guidance on legislative and policy issues.

Steve Beck has been active in his local affiliate group, Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia (DSANV) as the Vice President, Chairman of the Advocacy and Awareness Committee and the Governmental Affairs Committee. He has also managed the Buddy Walk® program for DSANV. Steve co-authored and introduced the FSAID / ABLE Act with NDSS and has been the Chair of a working group consisting of eight national disability organizations that has been working towards passage of the ABLE Act. He has given speeches on the ABLE Act to the Autism Society of America, ARC, United Cerebral Palsy, and Affiliates in Action at their Hill Day, as well as Congressional testimony on Asset Development and the ABLE Act on behalf of DSANV and NDSS. Steve has presented at NDSC and worked closely on legislative and other issues with AIA. He will lead the NDSS AAB starting in Spring 2010. Steve has two daughters. His daughter, Natalie, has Down syndrome.

Doris Erhart began her journey as an advocate when Aaron Christopher was born in 1998. At the time, there was no Down syndrome group in her area so she became one of the founders of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma (DSACO) in January 2000. Doris has held many positions within DSACO, and now chairs their Governmental Affairs Committee. In addition to her work with DSACO, Doris currently is employed part-time as the Self-Directed Services (SDS) Project Coordinator at Oklahoma’s University Center for Excellence in Development Disabilities (UCEDD). She is also on the National Down Syndrome Society’s Affiliate Advisory Board, the Affiliates In Action Informed Decision Making Task Force, and the Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action Trade Association Steering Committee.

Alexander Reid is a young man who has given much of his time, heart and mind to the pursuit of one our most important policy objectives: the passage of the ABLE Act. He is an associate in the tax practice of the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP. Alex received a B.A. in philosophy from Yale and a J.D. and LL.M. (tax) from New York University School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the New York University Law Review. Alex has an interest in our cause because of his experience as a sibling of a young man with Down syndrome. Alex has given endless hours of pro bono support to NDSS and the members of the coalition that are pushing for the passage of the ABLE Act. In fact, his extraordinarily thorough and careful analysis of the tax provisions of the bill and their implications has enabled us to secure many more House and Senate co-sponsors.