{"593848":{"#nid":"593848","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech EXCEL Student Advocates for Legislative Change","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis legislative session, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed into law a change to the Official Code of Georgia that alters just a few words, but makes a big statement.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/Legislation\/en-US\/display\/20172018\/HB\/343\u0022\u003EHouse Bill 343\u003C\/a\u003E amends the code\u0026nbsp;to replace the terms \u0026ldquo;mental retardation\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;mentally retarded\u0026rdquo; with \u0026ldquo;intellectual disability.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKurt Vogel, a student from Decatur in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/excel.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEXCEL\u003C\/a\u003E program, served as an advocate for the legislation. Vogel worked with legislators and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in March about the bill.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe change is a show of respect to those with disabilities and brings Georgia\u0026rsquo;s legal language in line with that used by the federal government.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVogel will soon begin his third year in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s EXCEL program, but this was his first foray into politics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It was an eye-opening experience,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;It gave me an opportunity to explore something I hadn\u0026rsquo;t thought about before. I haven\u0026rsquo;t been involved in any advocacy or awareness efforts before this.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVogel became involved in the legislative effort through a fellowship with Georgia State University\u0026rsquo;s Center for Leadership in Disability. There, he met Stacy Ramirez, director of Georgia State\u0026rsquo;s office for The Arc, an organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ramirez encouraged Vogel to use his voice on behalf of others.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I haven\u0026rsquo;t had the personal struggle some people have with the word \u0026lsquo;retarded,\u0026rsquo; but could speak out for others,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Each person with a disability has something to contribute to society. There\u0026rsquo;s also space for them at the table.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVogel wants to pursue a career in technology and enjoys those aspects of his program, but now, he may try to find ways to weave advocacy into his future plans.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I like interacting with people and don\u0026rsquo;t just want to be behind a computer screen all day,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his fellowship with Georgia State, Vogel is completing a second summer internship with the Centers for Disease Control, and interns part-time at CATEA, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access in the College of Design.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I might not have had those opportunities if not for being part of the EXCEL Program,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/excel.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEXCEL (Expanding Career, Education, and Leadership)\u003C\/a\u003E is a four-year inclusive college program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I\/DD) leading to two separate Certificates. The first is a certificate in Academic Enrichment, Social Fluency, and Career Exploration, and the second is a certificate in Social Growth, Leadership, and Career Development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In just two short years, I\u0026rsquo;ve watched Kurt grow as a student and mature as a man,\u0026rdquo; said Ken Surdin, director of the EXCEL program. \u0026ldquo;Kurt\u0026rsquo;s ability to advocate for himself has blossomed into advocating for others.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe EXCEL program provides a structured and supportive postsecondary educational opportunity for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, giving students the opportunity to develop academically, socially and professionally. Vogel\u0026rsquo;s experiences outside of the formal EXCEL curriculum are stretching the boundaries of what EXCEL students can do on and off campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Kurt\u0026rsquo;s insights have shaped the future of EXCEL for incoming students,\u0026rdquo; said Marnie Harris, peer support program coordinator for EXCEL. The program will welcome its third cohort of students this fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKurt Vogel, a student from Decatur in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/excel.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEXCEL\u003C\/a\u003E program, served as an advocate for a piece of state legislation during the 2017 session\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Kurt Vogel, a student from Decatur in Georgia Tech\u2019s EXCEL program, served as an advocate for a piece of state legislation during the 2017 session"}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2017-08-01 15:03:32","changed_gmt":"2017-08-01 21:39:22","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-08-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-08-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"593846":{"id":"593846","type":"image","title":"Kurt Vogel with Georgia Tech representatives at the Capitol","body":null,"created":"1501513044","gmt_created":"2017-07-31 14:57:24","changed":"1501513044","gmt_changed":"2017-07-31 14:57:24","alt":"Kurt Vogel with Georgia Tech representatives at the Capitol","file":{"fid":"226375","name":"vogel-excel-capitol.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vogel-excel-capitol.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vogel-excel-capitol.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":145527,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/vogel-excel-capitol.jpg?itok=wrBNq88I"}},"592369":{"id":"592369","type":"image","title":"Kurt Vogel","body":null,"created":"1496345925","gmt_created":"2017-06-01 19:38:45","changed":"1496345925","gmt_changed":"2017-06-01 19:38:45","alt":"Kurt Vogel","file":{"fid":"225755","name":"Kurt.Vogel_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kurt.Vogel_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kurt.Vogel_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":148494,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kurt.Vogel_.jpg?itok=DkdFErAL"}},"593845":{"id":"593845","type":"image","title":"Kurt Vogel at the Georgia Capitol","body":null,"created":"1501512957","gmt_created":"2017-07-31 14:55:57","changed":"1501512957","gmt_changed":"2017-07-31 14:55:57","alt":"Kurt Vogel","file":{"fid":"226374","name":"kurtvogel-capitol.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kurtvogel-capitol.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kurtvogel-capitol.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3290509,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/kurtvogel-capitol.jpg?itok=X8Kf3fNr"}},"593850":{"id":"593850","type":"image","title":"Kurt Vogel and Scott Hilton","body":null,"created":"1501514577","gmt_created":"2017-07-31 15:22:57","changed":"1501514577","gmt_changed":"2017-07-31 15:22:57","alt":"Kurt Vogel and Scott Hilton","file":{"fid":"226376","name":"18301271_1517261218354989_5191786648213230820_n.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/18301271_1517261218354989_5191786648213230820_n.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/18301271_1517261218354989_5191786648213230820_n.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":35936,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/18301271_1517261218354989_5191786648213230820_n.jpg?itok=AZMzMXMp"}}},"media_ids":["593846","592369","593845","593850"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/excel.gatech.edu","title":"EXCEL Program "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GeorgiaTechEXCEL\/","title":"Excel on Facebook"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3AY2K_uWBEQ\u0026t=1m10s","title":"Video from the Georgia Council on Aging about HB343"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/Legislation\/en-US\/display\/20172018\/HB\/343","title":"House Bill 343: Full Legislation"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GeorgiaTechEXCEL\/photos\/a.1517257971688647.1073741835.810222755725509\/1517261218354989\/?type=3\u0026theater","title":"Vogel at the Capitol: Photos on Facebook"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4194","name":"legislative"},{"id":"167050","name":"state"},{"id":"342","name":"Georgia"},{"id":"174112","name":"excel program"},{"id":"175033","name":"kurt vogel"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEXCEL Program\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:excel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eexcel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}