ACE attends Make Your Mark Conference

The Advocacy, Connections, Empowerment (ACE) Program at the Center provides opportunities to members to be active in the community while leading independent lives. The program is member-driven, with participants overseeing the daily structure, planning activities, maintaining budgets, and making contacts within the community for presentations, tours and volunteer opportunities. Members work together by supporting one another to try new things as also focus on developing new skills. 

Recently, ACE members attended the “Make Your Mark” self advocacy conference sponsored by ID Action, a nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to generating greater civic and political participation among people with disabilities. Members attending the conference participated in two sessions: Voting Makes a Difference and Fake News. 

When asked what they learned at the conference, members shared the following:

Susanna - “I learned that it is important to vote and that it gives me a chance to be part of something.” 

Wendy - “It’s important to vote. Me and Mom already did!”

Bre - “It’s important to vote no matter who you are.” 

Missy - “I get to stand up for me and others I care about.”

Caleb - “I can ‘stand up for what I believe in.”