Transition Awareness Month for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities

WHEREAS, it is important to educate communities and employers about the competencies, capabilities and rights of young people with disabilities who are making the transition from teenager to adult; and

WHEREAS, individuals with disabilities are contributing and valued residents of Alabama who exercise meaningful personal choices as family members, employees, residents, volunteers, consumers and friends; and

WHEREAS, opportunities for leadership, self-determination and service learning help youth with disabilities abolish barriers to employment and full participation in their communities and dispel any discrimination or prejudice which might confront them; and

WHEREAS, the State of Alabama provides transition services, as mandated in the Individuals with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, to prepare these students to exit secondary school capable of achieving independent and productive lives; and

WHEREAS, representatives of Alabama’s human service systems have formed the State Interagency Transition Team to support continuous quality improvement in services provided to students and families, consistent with respect for individual dignity, personal preferences and cultural differences; and

WHEREAS, the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Alabama Department of Mental Health develop the necessary services, supports and opportunities for youth and young adults with disabilities to attain full inclusion and a self-determined quality of life; and

WHEREAS, the Auburn Transition Leadership Institute – within Auburn University’s College of Education and Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling – provides research, outreach and instruction services addressing policy and practice issues in transition, and annually in March provides professional development for service providers and personal development for students and families through the Alabama Transition Conference:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of March 2013, as

Transition Awareness Month for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities

in the state of Alabama and urge all residents – leaders in government, business, labor, education, rehabilitation and the private citizenry – to work together to meet the challenges of ensuring employment and full community inclusion for young people with disabilities who exit our schools.