Louisiana DD Council Chair April Dunn with Gov. John Bel
Edwards and his wife, Donna Edwards.
By Lance Robertson, Administrator and
Assistant Secretary for Aging, ACL
Every year during the month of March, we celebrate
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and the many contributions of
people with DD and their families to our communities and to our country.
This year, we had planned a series of blogs and social media to highlight
the work of the DD network. However, over the last several weeks, we have
shifted our focus almost entirely to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This has been a challenging time for our country and the
entire world, and the spread of the coronavirus has created hardships for
everyone. These are intensified for many people with disabilities. Many
people with disabilities are at higher risk of complications from
COVID-19. In addition to the increased health risk, the community
measures that have been implemented to slow the spread of the virus are
placing great stress on people with disabilities and the families and
professionals who support them, including our networks.
We were reminded of the coronavirus’ toll this weekend when
we lost April Dunn. April was a valued colleague who chaired
Louisiana’s DD Council and a tireless self-advocate who spent her life
knocking down barriers for people with disabilities.
Madam Chair, good and faithful friend, Louisiana and her
people are better because you lived. Rest well, and watch over us. Job
well done. Life was better with you in it for us all. Coronavirus took
your body but will never take your legacy or your love.
We can all honor her spirit and legacy by continuing
her work of empowering people with disabilities during this particularly
challenging time.
ACL is working with our grantees and federal partners to
help in every way we can. We have been working to ensure personal
protective equipment is available for the direct services workforce; to
ensure the accessibility of information, facilities, and technology; and
to address the increased need for services, particularly to support
people in transitioning from hospitals and post-acute care settings back
into the community. We also have been working closely with the HHS Office
for Civil Rights (OCR) to prevent discrimination against people with
disabilities in health care decision-making.
Over the weekend, OCR released a bulletin
to ensure that entities covered by civil rights authorities keep in mind
their obligations under laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination
on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, and
exercise of conscience and religion in HHS-funded programs.
We welcome OCR’s leadership on this issue. As we respond to
this pandemic, we can never forget that the life of every human being,
regardless of age or ability, is valuable and every one of us is entitled
to dignity and rights.
I am proud of the work our networks are doing to adapt to
challenging circumstances, share critical information, and help minimize
the disruptions this national emergency has caused in the lives of people
with disabilities and their families.
Here are just a few of the many resources developed by the
DD network:
I'm not surprised that our networks are rising to the
occasion given the important work they do year-round. The DD Act,
independent living, NIDILRR, and assistive technology networks have been
leading the way on issues including employment, youth transitions,
housing, technology, peer mentorship, access to services, safety,
and civil rights. This work has made it possible for countless people
with disabilities to thrive in the community.
At ACL, "community" is not just in our name, it is
at the heart of everything we do. This is because we believe that having
the option to live in the community benefits older adults and people with
disabilities. Just as importantly, we believe that the entire community
benefits from their inclusion. DD Awareness Month is about celebrating
the many ways in which people with DD are part of the fabric of our
communities and contribute to the rich diversity of talents and
experiences that make our country strong. For many of us, the urgent need
to practice social distancing has driven home just how much our
communities, and the diverse people that make them up, mean to us.
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