Leadership Training and Delivery: The focus of this area is leadership development education for self-advocates, parents, professionals and other stakeholders.

The Ability Leadership Project of North Carolina (ALP-NC) initiative is a partnership between Disability Rights North Carolina and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) with NC stakeholders that designed an innovative and unique leadership development program for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members and guardians, professionals, and other stakeholders to support advocacy for systems change in North Carolina.

This initiative supports NCCDD's Goal 3 of the Council’s Five-Year Plan: Increase advocacy for individuals with I/DD.

Why is NCCDD funding this initiative?

• Developmental disabilities policy-based advocacy leadership development training programs involve high cost, outcomes tracking challenges, and barriers to long-term participant follow-up.
• There are no policy-based advocacy leadership development training programs where people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD), parents, professionals and other stakeholders train together.
• Individuals with I/DD are rarely training facilitators or coordinators for policy-based advocacy leadership training initiatives geared towards individuals with I/DD and their families; and nearly never facilitators and coordinators if the leadership training program is geared toward professionals.

What are the major goals and objectives?

• Graduates of the ALP-NC leadership development training will gain the skills necessary to effectively advocate for self and others.
• Design and produce virtual education and meetings that are accessible and seamless for the end user.
• Tailor the training approach and content to align with ALP-NC's values, methodologies, and mission, specifically addressing the needs of people with I/DD and their family members. Integrate practical examples and relevant case studies to enhance the training's applicability and effectiveness.
• Update facilitating strategies and techniques to suit the facilitators' skill sets and learning styles, focusing on interactive, participant-engaged methods.
• Incorporate modern technological tools and digital platforms to reflect the latest trends and best practices in digital learning.
• Develop unique participant engagement techniques, ensuring the training resonates with ALP’s target audience.
• Refine the learning objectives, language, and terminology to closely align with ALP-NC's goals, target audience, and mission.
• Restructure and reformat the training sessions to better meet the operational needs and preferences of the initiative staff and leaders.
• Develop a method for maintaining long-term contact with training graduates.

What are the initiative's achievements to date?

• Transitioned contract to Community Bridges Consulting Group (CBCG) from Disability Rights NC who piloted and launched the initiative starting March 2024.
• Individuals with I/DD have lead roles and actively co-lead all aspects of the training, including training coordination, training facilitation, and evaluation.
• Finalized the inclusive leadership development training curriculum and created the Leaders Guide
• Rebranded “trainers” as “facilitators. Developed Facilitator’s Guide and accompanying facilitator’s tools. Created a Facilitator Orientation including 2 orientation videos.
• During DRNC contract: Graduated 54 trainees with the skills necessary to effectively advocate for their self and others (e.g., speak to policy and other decision-makers, give testimony, etc.) at local state and federal levels to promote systems change. Held two Train the Trainer programs involving 13 participants. Prepared seven trainers of diverse representation including three individuals with I/DD.
• With Community Bridges Consulting Group contract: Created distinct roles, including: Co-directors, Senior Facilitators, Junior Facilitators, Producers, and Leader Advocates. Created distinct roles including: Co-directors, Senior Facilitators, Junior Facilitators, Producers, and Leader Advocates. Trained 2 cohorts of 22 graduates a.k.a. Leader Advocates (9/Cohort 1; 13/Cohort 2). Established two styles of training classes: monthly and bi-weekly. Started Monthly Facilitator and Alumni Meet-Ups, and Learning Team meetings. In May 2024 started a monthly e-newsletter. Created and implemented an Alumni Survey that garnered 14 responses from 45 recipients.
• Established practical assessment plans and practices.
• Instituted on-going Leader engagement efforts including in-person advocacy at the May I/DD Caucus.
• Initiated 3^rd Graduation on October 23^rd.

Who can I contact for questions?

Coordinator Corye Dunn, Director of Public Policy for Disability Rights of North Carolina, [email protected]

NCCDD: Melissa Swartz, Systems Change Manager, [email protected]

Additional Resources

Initiative website: www.alpnc.org

Download a PDF of this initiative: Ability Leadership Project of North Carolina (ALP-NC) 

Watch a recorded presentation to the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities: Disability Rights North Carolina/Ability Leadership Project North Carolina (ALP-NC) Update and Launch Session Recap - Aug 28, 2020

• Video Link: https://youtu.be/eslSLF2w-vU
• Presentation Slides