A letter from the CEO

As the CEO of SMD Alliance, I am often speaking to people about the importance of Alliance membership. I do so because SMD Alliance membership is about two things: building strength in numbers and maintaining responsiveness to the disability community.

SMD Alliance members represent the disability community because they are part of the disability community themselves. They are either people with a disability or have close ties to a disabled person. Alliance members have faced the challenges and barriers that exist. They have unique insights on disability issues that can only come with personal experience. That is what makes SMD Alliance members so vital to both SMD and to the entire disability community.

Our members keep SMD in touch with the realities facing today’s disability community while helping our organizations plan for the realities of tomorrow. Our members help direct strategies and programming by identifying the real needs that exist. They have seen what types of programs are currently available, how those programs might be improved and where new programs should be developed.

Most importantly, our members share the SMD vision of “a community that supports the independence, participation and empowerment of persons of all abilities.” Because we all share that vision, we are able to work together and present a more unified front on issues. The more we come together on issues of common interest, the stronger our voices become, enabling us to draw more attention to the issues that are truly important to the entire disability community.

Sincerely,

David Steen

Call (204)975-3018
to inquire about how you can become a member of SMD Alliance.