Invisible. That's the word that struck me as I toured Central State Hospital in Milledgeville April 14 with a group of parents of children with disabilities. The people we were there to see, those with developmental disabilities (DD), are the "invisible" population of Georgia.

I was one of nine moms from Partners in Policymaking, an advocacy-training program sponsored by the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities and the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. All of us have children diagnosed with a developmental disability, like autism or Down syndrome, and some, like me, have children who also have psychiatric diagnoses.

I went to Central State not knowing what to expect. I knew the history of the hospital as one of the largest insane asylums in the country, housing over 12,000 people in the 1960s. What I saw in the living quarters and educational facilities for the developmentally delayed residents at Central State was not horrific. It was clean, they were well fed and the staff seemed caring and knowledgeable. Yet, I kept thinking how invisible these people are.

It was evident that our visit was a big deal. We were greeted by the supervisors of each unit and accompanied by Joe Coleman, Developmental Disabilities Service Chief, all who seem to be good people trying their best to care for the people of Central State. But you could tell by the look on the children's faces in the medically fragile ward, and by the enthusiastic greeting we received by the young men enjoying a basketball game outside their residential unit, that they don't get many visitors. They are tucked away; forgotten.

And therein lies the rub. At Central State, people with developmental disabilities have only their basic needs met. They have food, shelter, a place to sleep, clothes to wear, access to medical treatment. But what else do they have? What about meaningful work, enjoyable leisure activities, or more importantly, friends and family?

Society has always wrestled with the challenge of including marginalized populations, like people with disabilities. Here in Georgia, that seems especially true. Nearly a decade has passed since the Olmstead decision in which Georgia was appealing for the right to enforce institutionalization, but the Supreme Court upheld the right of people with disabilities to live within their community.

Yet, most Georgians have no idea how many people with DD are still in institutions or what is needed move these people into the communities. For most of us it's "out of sight, out of mind." Until a tragedy hits the headlines or we personally know someone, developmental disabilities remain invisible.

While none of us dare admit this aloud, there's a fear that a life with a disabilities is a little less human than the rest of us. We make the mistake of thinking that people like my daughter are worth less in some way. This is where we moms of children with disabilities have an advantage over those with no experience.

My daughter has hopes, dreams, desires, dislikes, just like any 11-year-old. Her sense of humor, compassionate heart, deep soul and unquenchable spirit show that she's fully human. She has taught me more about being human and the value of life than any other person on this planet.

And while those at Central State would lead more meaningful lives for themselves in the community, the point we often miss is how much more meaningful our lives are when these people are no longer invisible to us.

Julie Beem of Marietta is the mother/stepmother to four, including her 11-year-old who has multiple neurological disorders. Julie is the Director of Communications for the Attachment & Trauma Network, www.radzebra.org, a national support and advocacy organization for parents raising children who have been abused or neglected. She is also a graduate of Georgia's 2007-08 Partners in Policymaking class.

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