DPG Disability Caucus

Join NAMI Georgia, for a virtual advocacy presentation on October 27 at 12:00 PM to learn how you can advocate for meaningful change in your community.

We'll talk about federal and state mental health policy updates, Georgia’s legislative process, and ways to get more involved.

This presentation is open to anyone interested in mental health advocacy, including community members, advocates, individuals with lived experience, family members, and professionals.


If you’d like to attend, please complete the registration form below. The Zoom link will be emailed to registered participants before the presentation begins.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3T26T8t

Disabled people have the right to live in our own homes and communities. That right has not gone away. But the federal rules that spelled out that right in Health and Human Services programs have been struck down, with the government’s help.

Yesterday, in the Texas v. Kennedy case, a federal court approved an agreement jointly proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and five states to remove the parts of Section 504 regulations that specify that disabled people should receive services and supports in the community rather than being forced into institutions.

This is yet another attack by this administration on the freedom and rights of disabled people. DREDF joins a coalition of disability rights organizations to strongly condemn this action. Read more here: https://dredf.org/texas-v-kennedy-final-september-2026/

What this ruling does not do is repeal Section 504 or the Americans with Disabilities Act, or overturn the Olmstead v. Lois Curtis ruling. These laws and legal authority continue to provide a right for for people with disabilities to live, work, and learn in community settings.

And if the federal government won't enforce our rights, then we will. We will push states to write Olmstead's protections into state law. We will support strong local and state enforcement. And we will fight cases that reinforce the ADA and Section 504.

Generations of disabled people fought for and won the freedom to make decisions about our lives and be a part of our communities. Together, we continue that fight.

Michael Hingson could not see the smoke outside the 78th floor of the North Tower.

He could feel the building tilt.

He could smell jet fuel.

And he could feel one thing beside him that was not panicking.

Roselle.

His guide dog.

As people around them tried to understand what had just happened, the yellow Labrador stayed so calm that Michael made the decision his life now depended on.

Trust her.

And start down.

American Airlines Flight 11 had just slammed into the North Tower above them on September 11, 2001.

Michael was blind.

He was 78 floors above the street.

And between him and safety were 1,463 steps through a skyscraper that would soon collapse.

Michael had been blind since infancy.

That morning, he was working as a regional sales manager and head of operations for Quantum/ATL.

He had arrived early for a breakfast meeting.

Roselle was with him, as always.

When the plane hit at 8:46 a.m., she had been sleeping near his feet.

Then came the violent boom.

The tower swayed.

A coworker looked outside and described burning paper filling the air.

People became frightened.

Roselle stayed composed.

Michael paid attention to that.

A guide dog does not simply pull a blind person wherever she wants.

It is a partnership.

Michael gave Roselle direction.

Roselle helped him navigate what he could not see.

That morning, each had to trust the other completely.

They moved toward Stairwell B.

Then they began descending.

One floor.

Then another.

And another.

The smell grew stronger.

Michael recognized it.

Jet fuel.

People were coughing.

Voices filled the stairwell.

Thousands were trying to get down.

Then Michael began hearing something else.

Heavy boots.

Firefighters were climbing past them.

Michael and Roselle were going down toward life.

Those firefighters were going up toward the fire.

Roselle kept moving.

Steady.

Controlled.

Floor after floor.

Michael held her harness.

Roselle worked through the crowd.

Seventy-eight floors is difficult when nothing is wrong.

That morning, every step carried the knowledge that something catastrophic was happening somewhere above them.

Michael could not look through a window to see whether the fire was getting closer.

He could not watch television coverage.

He could not see the smoke.

He had to build his understanding from sound.

Smell.

Heat.

Voices.

The feel of doors beneath his hand.

And the dog beside him.

Roselle did not know what September 11 meant.

She did not know what a hijacked airplane was.

She did not know two towers had been attacked.

She knew her job.

Keep Michael moving safely.

So she did.

For roughly an hour, they descended.

1,463 steps.

Michael later said the teamwork and trust between Roselle, himself, and the people around them helped carry them all the way down.

Eventually, they reached the bottom.

They came out of the North Tower alive.

Michael and Roselle had escaped.

But their time was still running out.

About 30 minutes later, at 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed.

The office where Roselle had been sleeping that morning was gone.

The stairwell they had just descended disappeared beneath the wreckage.

Michael was still standing.

Roselle was still beside him.

Their story became famous afterward.

But Michael never described what happened as one heroic dog simply rescuing a helpless blind man.

He described trust.

Teamwork.

Two partners who had worked together long before 9/11 and kept doing exactly that when the world around them became chaos.

Roselle remained with Michael for years afterward.

She d*ed in 2011 with Michael and his wife, Karen, beside her.

Michael later helped create Roselle’s Dream Foundation in her honor, supporting blind children and adults. Her guide-dog collar eventually became part of the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s collection.

On September 11, Michael Hingson could not see the burning tower around him.

Roselle could not understand why it was burning.

Neither had everything the other had.

That was exactly why they worked.

Seventy-eight floors.

1,463 steps.

One man holding a harness.

One dog refusing to panic.

And about 30 minutes after they walked out together, the tower came down.

Su***de doesn’t discriminate but for the disability community, the risk factors run deeper. Chronic pain, isolation, inaccessible mental health care, and a world that too often treats disabled lives as less worth living all contribute to a mental health crisis that doesn’t get talked about enough.

As the Georgia Disability Caucus, we want every disabled Georgian to hear this clearly you are not alone, and YOU MATTER‼️

If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out. Help is real. Hope is here.

📞 Call or text 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline

Reach out. Speak up. Save a life.

***dePreventionMonth #988

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. 💜

As the Disability Caucus of the Democratic Party of Georgia, we want to say this plainly substance use disorder is not separate from disability it’s deeply connected to it. Chronic pain that goes untreated. Mental illness that goes unsupported. Trauma that never got care. These are disabilities, and when people don’t get help for them, some turn to substances to cope. That’s not a moral failing. That’s a system that failed them first.

Every person we’ve lost to overdose deserved access to real mental health care, real pain management, real support not stigma, not silence, not a system that only shows up after it’s too late.

Today we remember those we’ve lost, and we recommit to fighting for the policies that keep people alive naloxone access, harm reduction, and healthcare that treats addiction as the medical and disability issue it is.

💙🤍 Become a Sponsor for Deaf Awareness Appreciation Day! 🤍💙

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Iota Iota Zeta Chapter invites businesses, organizations, and community partners to join us in making a difference by sponsoring our Deaf Awareness Appreciation Day on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Langston Chapel Middle School (Rear Parking Lot) in Statesboro, Georgia.

This FREE community event is dedicated to promoting accessibility, inclusion, education, and wellness for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Attendees will enjoy hearing screenings, wellness checks, educational resources, food, giveaways, family-friendly activities, and on-site ASL interpreters.

Your sponsorship will help us provide these services at no cost to our community while giving your business valuable exposure.

✨ Sponsorship Opportunities Available:

💎 Diamond Sponsor – $500
• Premier event recognition
• Logo on event T-shirts
• Logo on the photo booth banner
• Recognition in all social media promotions before and after the event
• Inclusion in newspaper and media releases
• Opportunity to submit a promotional video
• 10-minute speaking opportunity during the opening ceremony
• Recognition during event announcements
• Two prime exhibitor tables, four chairs, and a tent (provided by the venue)

💙 Sapphire Sponsor – $250
• Recognition on social media before and after the event
• Five-minute speaking opportunity during the opening ceremony
• Recognition during event announcements
• One exhibitor table with two chairs (provided by the venue)

🤍 Pearl Sponsor – $150
• Recognition on social media before and after the event
• Recognition during event announcements
• One exhibitor table with two chairs (provided by the venue)

Together, we can create a more inclusive community while increasing awareness and access to valuable resources.

📞 To become a sponsor or learn more, contact:
Rachel Bryant
📱 912-551-3333
📧 [email protected]

Your support changes lives. Join us in promoting accessibility, inclusion, and awareness throughout our community.

FREE & CHARITABLE CLINICS ACROSS GEORGIA

For uninsured, low-income, and under-insured Georgians preparing for ACA subsidy changes.

⸻

🟦 METRO ATLANTA REGION

Fulton • DeKalb • Cobb • Gwinnett • Clayton

• The Urban Clinic of Atlanta — Atlanta
Free primary care for uninsured adults.

• Good Samaritan Health Center — Atlanta
Medical, dental, mental health, & nutrition services.

• Good Samaritan Gwinnett — Norcross & Duluth
Charitable & low-cost primary care.

• Physicians’ Care Clinic — Decatur (DeKalb)
Free clinic for uninsured adults.

• Grace Village Clinic — Clarkston
Free care for refugees, immigrants & uninsured.

• Good Shepherd Clinic — Morrow (Clayton)
Free primary care.

• ECIC Free Clinic — Marietta (Cobb)
Free clinic for uninsured individuals.

• AID Atlanta — Atlanta
Free/low-cost STD/HIV testing & care.

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🟧 NORTH GEORGIA REGION

Blue Ridge • Rome • Calhoun • Dahlonega • Gainesville

• Morganton Medical & Dental Clinic — Blue Ridge
Free medical & dental care.

• Free Clinic of Rome — Rome
Comprehensive free care for uninsured adults.

• Healing Hands Clinic — Calhoun
Medical care for low-income, uninsured residents.

• Community Helping Place — Dahlonega
Medical, dental, and basic needs programs.

• RAPHA Clinic of West GA — Temple
Charitable clinic serving rural West Georgia.

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🟩 MIDDLE GEORGIA REGION

Athens • Macon • Covington • Madison

• Athens Wellness Clinic — Athens
Free primary care for uninsured adults.

• Mercy Health Center — Athens
Free medical, dental, and spiritual care services.

• Macon Volunteer Clinic — Macon
Free medical, dental, vision & prescriptions.

• Willing Helpers Clinic — Covington
Free comprehensive medical care.

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🟥 SOUTH & COASTAL GEORGIA REGION

Savannah • Brunswick • Augusta • Valdosta • Albany • Statesboro

• Community Health Mission — Savannah
Free health care for uninsured adults.

• St. Mary’s Health Center — Savannah
Low-cost / charitable care.

• ALAS Free Women’s Clinic — Augusta
Women’s health + primary care.

• Good Samaritan Clinic — Adel
Free medical services for uninsured residents.

• Coastal Community Health — Brunswick, Darien, Kingsland
Sliding scale primary care; no insurance required.

• East Georgia Healthcare — Statesboro / Metter
Sliding-scale community health center.

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🟪 STATEWIDE FQHC NETWORK (Serves ALL Patients)

Federally Qualified Health Centers must treat patients regardless of insurance.

• Albany Area Primary Healthcare
• Community Health Care Systems (CHCS) — many rural counties
• Southside Medical Center — Atlanta + satellites
• Oakhurst Medical Centers
• TenderCare / Thumbs Up Clinics
• Coastal Community Health
• East Georgia Healthcare Centers

Services usually include: primary care, dental, behavioral health, labs, pediatrics, women’s health, chronic care management.

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🟨 STATEWIDE POP-UP FREE CLINICS

RAM USA — Remote Area Medical

Free medical, dental, vision, NO ID needed, NO insurance needed.
Events rotate through Savannah, Athens, Valdosta, South Georgia, North Georgia, and coastal communities.

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🔎 HOW TO FIND LOCAL CLINICS FAST

Georgia Charitable Care Network (GCCN)
➡️ https://gacharitycare.org/find-a-clinic

National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC)
➡️ https://nafcclinics.org/find-clinic

FindHelpGA (Statewide Resource Directory)
➡️ https://findhelpga.org

Home - Find Help Georgia Find Help In Your Community! Whether it’s financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, child care, job training, and other free or reduced-cost services specific to your area, essential resources can be found here.