Dawn Alford and the GCDD team at GHF’s 2017 Consumer Health Impact Awards
In 2019 Georgia’s health advocacy community lost several
colleagues and friends. As we mourn those who passed, we strive to honor their
lives by continuing to build the healthy, equitable future they each envisioned.
This year’s Linda Smith Lowe Health Advocacy Award will
honor the work of one such Georgian. Dawn Alford is this year’s award recipient
for her advocacy on behalf of Georgians with disabilities.
Dawn Alford was the Public Policy Director for the Georgia
Council on Developmental Disabilities from 2013 until her unexpected passing in
July 2019. In this role, Dawn led advocacy efforts to improve and protect
access to quality health care, increase opportunities for accessible education,
and to expand opportunities for people with disabilities to live full lives in
their communities.
Dawn brought her own life experience to her work. As she
educated legislators on important policy issues, she told stories about her
health care, education, and family supports to illustrate the need and impact
of policy change. She regularly led efforts to bring Georgians with disabilities
to the state Capitol to do the same. Dawn’s ability to create change by
leveraging the power of her own and others’ voices illustrates why GHF has
chosen to recognize her as this year’s awardee.
Dawn’s former colleague and friend Eric Jacobson submitted
her award nomination and reflected on Dawn’s legacy:
“It now only makes sense that we promote young people with
disabilities to take her role and build upon it. While only 41 when she passed,
she had begun developing a network of young people with disabilities who saw
her as a mentor, coach and friend. She prepared them not only to become better
advocates but to take leadership roles in the Disability Rights Movement.
She was an extraordinary advocate for people with
disabilities who fought so that all Georgians with disabilities could live full
and meaningful lives in the community.”
For her advocacy work on behalf of Georgians with
disabilities, we are proud to honor Dawn Alford with the Linda Smith Lowe
Health Advocacy Award.
We hope you will join us on January 14th as we recognize Dawn! RSVP here.
Medicaid expansion gains momentum in holdout states
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The idea of expanding Medicaid is gaining momentum in the last holdout states, with eyes on Mississippi as the next potential state to take up the policy. As of 2024,…
