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MOI celebrates March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

March is Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month. All month long, Malta Opportunities, Inc. (MOI) is promoting knowledge and understanding of people with developmental disabilities and the contributions we make to the Malta and Phillips County community.

In 1987, President Reagan, on the shoulders of the hard working of the 1970s and 1980s to move away from institutions and toward community life, declared March Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The rights of people with disabilities were furthered with the 1990 passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act, making it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of their disability. However, the work to promote, support, and include people with disabilities continues today.

A Developmental Disability (DD) is a life-long disability that limits three or more major life activity areas, such as self-care, language, learning, mobility, economic self-sufficiency, and/or the ability to live independently, affecting 1-3% of the general population. A person with a DD may need extra support for these activities, and this is where MOI assists. MOI provides help with employment, skill learning, transportation, household upkeep, medication, financial management or self-care, and hygiene. Throughout all the types of support MOI provides, the person is the center.

We are store clerks, janitors, artists, musicians, laundry workers, sports fans, and avid readers. We are your neighbors, friends, family members, and colleagues. We like to shop, eat out, go to the movies, and support our schools. We go to church, like to bowl, and go on vacation. We bet this is not very different from you, where lots of things make up who you are. So while we may communicate, move or look differently than you, remember that we speak for ourselves and we know what we need, like, and want.

We hope you follow our Malta Opportunities Facebook page all month long to learn more about Developmental Disabilities and who we are.

 

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