{"id":190214,"date":"2025-03-02T21:52:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T02:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=190214"},"modified":"2025-03-03T22:05:04","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T03:05:04","slug":"dd-awareness-theme-creating-a-path-to-independence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2025\/03\/02\/dd-awareness-theme-creating-a-path-to-independence\/","title":{"rendered":"March is DD Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Paula Miller\/special to the VW independent<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The theme for 2025 is “Creating Pathways to Independence.” This theme highlights the different ways people can achieve independence, such as learning new skills, finding a job, or building a supportive community. It’s a time to celebrate diversity, advocate, and educate about developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over eight years ago I began working at the Van Wert County Board of DD as the Children\u2019s SSA and Community Connections Coordinator. I have learned so many valuable lessons. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world of adventure, excitement, and an increased understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and families. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Brad, John, Dmitri and Matt were able to enjoy a train ride through the Cuyahoga County National Forest. Photo submitted<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I have witnessed amazing growth as middle school students have transitioned to graduates entering the workforce, to accomplishments of independence we may take for granted such as obtaining a driver’s license and purchasing a car, living independently, traveling to new places, attending sporting events and cheering on your favorite college football team or professional baseball team. These milestones are not just achievements, they are proof of what can be accomplished when individuals are given the support they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe believe independence looks different for everyone,\u201d VWCBDD SSA Director Shannon Timmerman said. \u201cWe assist individuals in identifying how they want it to look for them and how to work towards achieving their goals. Whether learning a new skill, landing a first job, making choices about daily living, or finding a supportive and inclusive community, independence is about creating opportunities for growth, empowerment, and self-advocacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDD Awareness Month is not just about recognizing differences, but celebrating the shared potential in all of us to live, grow, and thrive together, VWCBDD Cody Bowersock said. \u201cThis March, I hope we can come together to celebrate the individuals in our community who inspire us with their resilience and potential. Together, we can build a more inclusive and supportive society for all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

This March, we\u2019re asking you to join us in raising awareness and taking meaningful steps to ensure that people with developmental disabilities have the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a time to celebrate diversity, advocate, and educate about developmental disabilities. Each individual, regardless of their abilities, has the right to be respected, embraced, and provided with opportunities to thrive. DD Awareness Month serves as a profound reminder of these principles, emphasizing the value, rights, and aspirations of those with developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hope everyone will take some time to learn about your neighbors and fellow Van Wert County residents. We encourage you to follow the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities Facebook page as we highlight individuals throughout the month of March. If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact the Van Wert County Board of DD at 419.238.6131.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paula Miller\/special to the VW independent Every March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The theme for 2025 is “Creating Pathways to Independence.” This theme highlights the different ways people can achieve independence, such as learning new skills, finding a job, or building a supportive community. It’s a time to celebrate diversity, advocate, and educate about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-190214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-04 19:42:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190214"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":190312,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190214\/revisions\/190312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}