Project Description:
People First of Nevada was started in May, 2003. It began as a project of the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Small groups of people with developmental disabilities in Reno and Las Vegas met to discuss self-advocacy and self-determination and the need for some structure to the self-advocacy efforts in Nevada. Later that year, the NCED applied and was granted funding from the Corporation for National Service to hire three people with developmental disabilities as VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) to take the lead in forming a statewide People First organization. Annual funding from the Nevada Governor?s Council on Developmental Disabilities has provided administrative support, training opportunities and participant supplies to the project.
VISTA members in Reno and Las Vegas established the first two People First chapters in 2003. In 2004, a VISTA member and People First chapter was added in Elko and the statewide People First board was formed. Each of the existing chapters has elected officers and elects two delegates to the statewide board, which meets three times per year.
The People First project has grown and now has six VISTA members, all of whom have developmental disabilities, who have helped create eight People First chapters throughout the state. There are currently active chapters in Reno, Las Vegas, Fallon, Fernley, Elko, Winnemucca Minden/Gardnerville, and Carson City. Today, People First VISTA members also work with the NCED's VISTA Youth Transition Project to bring self-advocacy & self-determination training to transition-age youth in high school. People First members have been active in systemic change issues and took leadership roles in legislative initiatives to allow the use of signature stamps by people with disabilities (2007) and to change the language of official Nevada state documents to use people first language when referring to people with disabilities (2009).
People First of Nevada is now a recognized as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Keyword(s):
Self-advocacy, disability, leadership, People First
Core Function(s):
Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Other - Leadership
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
