GODA Newsletter

April/May 2024

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New GODA Staff Announced

The Office of Programs and Planning is pleased to announce the hiring of Jamar Lanier Ennis as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs (GODA).

Jamar, a native from North Baton Rouge, served in various roles within the Office of the Governor during the past three consecutive gubernatorial administrations. Jamar returns to GODA after serving as the Executive Director of The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) of Louisiana, a non-profit 501(c)(3) formerly housed within the Office of the Governor. 

Liam Doyle will serve as the Assistant Director of GODA.

Liam is longtime disability affairs advocate and nationally certified ADA Coordinator. Prior to the Assistant Director role, Liam held the position of GODA Senior Coordinator.

A frequent public speaker, Doyle has given talks around the country that include giving a 2016 Tedx Talk entitled

“The View from Here: My Path to Disability Advocacy”, serving as a panelist at the 2017 GODA ADA Symposium, and being selected as a featured speaker for the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity in 2020.

Two of his proudest achievements include being a member of Leadership Lafayette Class XXXI and being selected as the recipient of the 2015 Ken Vince Memorial GOLD Award for Advocacy.

Liam graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a bachelor's degree of political science in 2021.

In August, he will begin work on his master's of public administration from Louisiana State University.

The Governor's Office of Disability Affairs would like to thank Bambi Polotzola, who graciously served as the Executive Director for more than eight years.

2024 Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs Conference Call for Speakers is OPEN! 

Proposals to speak at the 2024 GODA Annual Conference are due by June 1, 2024. Complete the form in its entirety. If you have multiple ideas, please submit a separate proposal for each.

Priority selection will be given to proposals that include people with disabilities.

The 2024 GODA Conference is currently being scheduled with an official set of dates and times to follow.



Contact Liam Doyle, Assistant Director of Disability Affairs, at

liam.doyle@la.gov or (225) 219-7553 if you have any questions or if you wish to confirm your intent to submit a proposal.

Click here to access recordings from last year's GODA Conference:

2023 GODA Conference

LCD ASL Mentor Program Announced

To register click here or reach out to Jazmyne Lemar at Jazmyne.Lemar@la.gov

Patient No More Exhibition at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol Explores Fight for Disability Rights

Discover an overlooked moment in U.S. history when people with disabilities occupied a government building to win their rights.

The exhibit Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights will be on display at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol from April 2-May 25, 2024.

The exhibition uncovers the stories behind a turbulent April in 1977, when people with disabilities successfully launched protests across the nation to get Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 signed into law. 

Section 504 made it illegal for any federally funded facilities or programs to discriminate against people with disabilities, but as of 1977, one missing signature stood in the way of the law taking effect. After a 26-day occupation of the Federal Building in San Francisco, the occupiers emerged victorious from the longest unarmed take-over of a federal building in U.S. history when the Head of Health Education and Welfare finally added his signature to the 504 regulations.

In this exhibition, visitors will get a chance to appreciate how the occupiers-built networks of support, from unions to the Black Panthers; how protesters influenced the media and changed the language used to cover the protest; and the controversies of 504, especially in regard to race and deafness.

Above all, this exhibition reminds all of us that disabilities are a source of creativity and innovation, not pity or tragedy. 

Patient No More is presented by the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University, made possible with support from California Humanities, and traveled by Exhibit Envoy. 

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is a free museum open Tuesday-Friday from 10-4 and Saturday from 9-3. 

It is located at 100 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70801.

Call 225-342-0500 for more information.

Emergency Management Access & Functional Needs/Disability Training

Funded by the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, Emergency Management Disability Awareness Training is imperative for anyone who works with and for disability organizations, is a disability advocate, works with children and seniors, or is employed by a municipality with responsibilities in emergency services and response.

The tailored presentation identifies the responsibilities of both Emergency Management personnel and disability advocates during an emergency. This program will introduce the four modules necessary for proper response that include Disability Awareness Training, the Americans with Disabilities Act specific to Emergency Management, emergency plan content, and Inclusive Planning and Active Participation. This training is free of charge. Lunch is on your own.

Topics to be Discussed:

• Disability Awareness specific to Emergency Management;

• Access and Functional Needs defined to include Universal Accessibility;

• Understanding how the whole community concept is imperative to proper response to individuals with disabilities and how to involve them;

• FEMA Access and Functional Needs content;

• Disaster Preparedness and Planning;

• The Americans with Disabilities Act relative to Emergency management and response;

• Community resources and other materials that assist stakeholders and their constituents;

• Inclusive Planning and Active Participation;

• NYC Lawsuit and its ramifications nationwide;

• Disabilities defined in the context of emergency planning;



May 1-2, 2024 9:00am-5:00pm OR May 2, 2024 1:00pm-5:00pm

Red Cross Building 4655 Sherwood Common Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA



Please Register by visiting the link below:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/633bf4m 



Louisiana Deaf Festival

Learning Disabilities Conference

For those with an interest in ADHD, Learning Disabilities, etc., please click here.

Click here to learn more and to register for our FREE virtual conference. You will have a full month to view the sessions you need, and CEUs/CLEs are available at a minimal cost.

Downtown Lafayette Opens Fully Accessible and Inclusive Playground

A playground for the young, and young at heart is now open in downtown Lafayette.

One of the main drivers behind the project was the Chappuis family whose daughter Elodie (pictured above) is all too happy to have a place to play with her brother and new friends.

Said her mom Lacie " It was easy to cheer for this project because it’s good for everyone. All kids deserve opportunities to play. When we create spaces that promote diverse groups of children playing together, disabled and typically developing kids in one place, we’re also promoting inclusion and love and acceptance of differences within humanity.

I knew this was a good thing, but actually taking my children to the playground and having an experience where they could both participate and play brought on a flood of emotions. I felt so happy for my child that she doesn’t just have to sit in her wheelchair and watch everyone else play, but now she gets to play, too.

I felt incredibly grateful to and proud of our community for launching and supporting this playground which has also wondrously activated a space in downtown that was formerly a parking lot. And I felt hopeful, because little projects like this can have big impacts in making our world a kinder and more accepting place."

Designed for people of all abilities, the 6,000-square-foot inclusive and accessible playground includes equipment from Berliner Seilfabrik—a leading manufacturer for playgrounds across the world. Design and equipment selection were led by Duplantis Design Group (DDG) and Innovative Recreation, LLC. The project was constructed by Triad Construction Services. Lafayette Consolidated Government will own and maintain the playground.

Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities Spotlight

Kevin George is an employee of the Louisiana Department of Health's OCDD. He is also an OCDD New Opportunities Waiver (NOW) participant, which provides support for independent living. NOW has allowed Kevin to gain his independence by teaching him how to live on his own and become a part of the workforce.

With the encouragement of his coworkers and OCDD Assistant Secretary Julie Foster Hagan, Kevin graduated from the Louisiana Developmental Disability Council’s (LaDDC) 2023 Partners in Policymaking Class, a national leadership training program for people with developmental disabilities and parents of young children with DD.

Kevin also currently sits on the LaDDC Transportation Committee and is particularly interested in helping individuals with disabilities learn more about public transportation so they can become more independent and less homebound.

BOOK OF THE MONTH:

Not So Different

By: Shane Burcaw

Not So Different offers a humorous, relatable, and refreshingly honest glimpse into Shane Burcaw’s life. Shane tackles many of the mundane and quirky questions that he’s often asked about living with a disability, and shows readers that he’s just as approachable, friendly, and funny as anyone else.

Shane Burcaw was born with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which hinders his muscles’ growth. As a result, his body hasn’t grown bigger and stronger as he’s gotten older―it’s gotten smaller and weaker instead. This hasn’t stopped him from doing the things he enjoys (like eating pizza and playing sports and video games) with the people he loves, but it does mean that he routinely relies on his friends and family for help with everything from brushing his teeth to rolling over in bed.