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Three people are standing and smiling in a room. The man on the left is wearing a button down shirt and holding an award. The man in the middle is looking at the award and is wearing a black jacket, white shirt and blue tie. The woman on the right is delivering the award. She has blonde hair, a gray suit jacket and a white shirt.

United, We Act

 

FL SAND is an independent 501(c)(3) organization formed to expand the self-advocacy movement in Florida. It works through the support of local grassroots efforts, legislative platforms, networking with local business and civic communities, raising awareness, and promoting inclusion for all. FL SAND provides a united voice on statewide issues and topics that are important to self-advocates and all persons with developmental disabilities throughout the state. 

Nothing about us without us . . .
FL SAND History
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Florida's first self-advocacy group formed in south Florida through the efforts of people with disabilities assisted by the Arc of Dade County. People First of Dade County formed officially in 1979, campaigning with the slogan, "We want to be treated like normal people, human beings. We do not want handouts. We want to live like everybody else."

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People First of Dade County is still going strong, having expanded to three chapters in south Dade, north Dade, and Broward counties, operating today as People First of South Florida. People First of Dade County would become the first of the 15 grassroots self-advocacy groups that now comprise a statewide network known as Florida Self-Advocates Network'D (FL SAND).

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FL SAND is governed by a board of directors and has been awarded grants from Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), a national self-advocacy organization, and Disability Rights Florida, a federally-mandated agency for the protection of the rights of Floridians with disabilities, to develop grassroots training and voter education.

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FL SAND and its grassroots groups operate independently of provider organizations. Most groups have their own executive officers and an advisor. In addition to supporting legislative priorities and state projects advanced by their board, local groups work on advocacy projects in their communities.

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Get social with us!
FL SAND is a tax-exempt non-profit organization, under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All charitable donations to the FL SAND organization are deductible to the full extent allowed by law. 
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Have a question or just want to share your thoughts? Email us at
contactflsand@gmail.com

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© 2025 by FL SAND. 

Be sure to subscribe to  FSACentral.org, FL SAND's news and information hub to receive our newsletters. 
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc. logo (a blue and green D with a blue dot on top)

This project is provided by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc., supported in part by grant numbers 2301FLSCDD and 2401FLSCDD from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, D.C. 20201 as part of financial assistance awards totaling $8,889,783 with 100% funded by ACL/HHS. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.

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