Advocacy
Avatar was founded in 1992 to assist in the deinstitutionalization of the Ladd Center. Since the beginning, our mission has been to provide adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the chance to live their lives to the fullest, make their own choices, connect with their communities, provide opportunities, and more.
Our self-advocacy group, AvaVoice, is a peer led support group for folks with IDD to discuss advocacy and human rights, provide education, resources, community, and friendship. More information is provided below.
AvaVoice
Our self-advocacy group, AvaVoice, is open to anyone looking for community and a safe place to learn about advocacy and human rights. We meet once a month at one of our local libraries or community centers to discuss current events, share ideas, learn to navigate the DD system, etc.
AvaVoice has hosted guest speakers from the Rhode Island Cross Coalition Speaker’s Bureau, Advocates in Action, and other RI advocates. We also toured of the RI Statehouse, where advocates got to meet Governor McKee.
We are always looking for ways to give back to the community. Our members have been volunteering and organizing fundraisers for the Ronald McDonald House of Charities “Meals with Love” project for the past 3 years. We also collect soda tabs to donate regularly to RMHC, and have conducted hygiene drives, winter clothing drives, and pet supply drives for our local shelters.
In 2023 we were awarded the CPNRI Team Unity award!
