Guam - They may not provide services, but the Guam Developmental Disabilities Council speaks out for the disabled and trains them to speak out for themselves. According to GDDC executive director Rosanne Ada, the council is 28 members strong.

Today's bi-monthly general membership meeting is part of their efforts to fully integrate the disabled by deriving a state plan. "Our general mission is to advocate and to change the service system and to build capacity for these services and we do these things because we want to make sure our consumers, the ones with disabilities are integrated within the community in all facets of society," she said.

Ada hopes the island's leaders work to pass and enforce legislation that caters to the island's disabled. There are 200 active consumers from the Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities and more from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.