June 20, 2019 (Raleigh, NC) - Governor Roy Cooper has appointed State Senator Mujtaba A. Mohammed (D-Mecklenburg) to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Senator MohammedThe senator will serve a three-year term on the Council, working collaboratively across the State to assure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families participate in the design of and have access to needed community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity and inclusion in all areas of community life.

“I have always been proud to be familiar with the work and renowned national reputation of the Council for its advocacy for individuals with developmental disabilities. I am pleased to hear about the progress the Council is already making to promote less restrictive alternatives to guardianship and respecting the rights of individuals in guardianship and those facing guardianship,” Sen. Mohammed says. "As a member of the North Carolina Senate, I represent the citizens of North Carolina and I am committed to raising awareness and support for individuals with developmental disabilities at the state level."

In addition to his duties as a State Senator, Mohammed is a trial attorney in the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office. “I provide holistic legal representation to indigent clients throughout the criminal court settings. In addition, I strive to connect underprivileged clients and their families to community-based services," explains Mohammed. "The position often requires me to collaborate with social workers, treatment providers and agencies to achieve positive outcomes for the clients I represent.”

Mohammed holds a Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

He, along with the 39 other Governor-appointed Council members, will work to identify problems facing the community through its five-year planning process and fund innovative projects and initiatives that promote the goals of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) for all North Carolinians.

The Council work is guided by their Five-Year State Plan and focuses on three main goals for the state’s I/DD community:

• Increasing financial security through asset development
• Increasing community living
• Increasing advocacy

He serves on the Council’s Community Living Committee where he sees work that is definitely needed. “Due to the lack of appropriate funding at this time to address transportation and housing challenges for individuals with developmental disabilities, the Council should work to develop programming to address social isolation and create natural supports outside of the family,” explains Senator Mohammed.

Currently living in Charlotte, NC with his wife and their two young sons, Senator Mohammed is on the board of directors for the Council for Children’s Rights, the Larry King Clubhouse Children’s Care Center and Mecklenburg Ministries.

About the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities:The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) works to assure that people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their  families participate in the design of and have access to needed community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity and inclusion in all areas of community life. Through its Five-Year Plan, the Council identifies and funds innovative projects and initiatives that promote the goals of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) for all North Carolinians. www.nccdd.org

RALEIGH, NC (July 26, 2019) – The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities is proud to honor the 29th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2019. The landmark legislation was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990 to promote inclusion and integration for people with disabilities.

North Carolina has a lot to celebrate on this anniversary of the ADA. This year, the state officially became an Employment First state, meaning that competitive integrated employment will be the first choice for people with intellectual or other developmental disabilities (I/DD).

“There were a lot of people involved in making the ADA a reality for people with disabilities across the nation. From self-advocates to family members and of course, legislators, the passage of the ADA is a great reminder of how we all have to work together to achieve a common goal,” said Alex McArthur, chairperson of NCCDD. “Celebrating the ADA reminds us of how far we have come, but also how much work there is to be done to fulfill the ADA’s vision of inclusion and integration in all facets of life.”

Every year, disability advocates across North Carolina celebrate the ADA Anniversary to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with I/DD in all facets of community life, as well as awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities still face in connecting to the communities in which they live.

For statewide ADA Anniversary events, click here.

About the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities:The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) works to assure that people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their  families participate in the design of and have access to needed community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity and inclusion in all areas of community life. Through its Five-Year Plan, the Council identifies and funds innovative projects and initiatives that promote the goals of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) for all North Carolinians. www.nccdd.org