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March 8, 2018DES MOINES, Iowa |  By: INS

March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

More than 50 million Americans are living with developmental disabilities, but many are also highly functioning individuals actively participating in their communities. Lane Till is a spokesperson for the Iowans With Disabilities and Action Project, and says this year's campaign theme, "See Me For Me," recognizes the contributions made by the 48,000 Iowans with developmental disabilities. She believes the month provides an opportunity to remember that every person deserves to be identified as a unique individual with special gifts and talents.

Developmental disabilities are those obtained prior to age 22 that cause mental or physical limitations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one in six, or 15 percent, of children aged three through 17 have one or more developmental disabilities.

The proclamation making March National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month was signed in 1987. Since then, Till says, Iowa communities have made huge strides in embracing people with autism, Down syndrome or epilepsy and other disabilities – people who might previously have faced a lifetime of dependency.

You can follow the stories from Iowans during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month on social media at #DDAwareness18.