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March
28, 2018
By Lance
Robertson, ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging
Santa
Perez of People First of Nevada is a lot of things.
“I
am an advocate. I am a woman with a BA in Psychology. I sit on many
committees around the state. I am a mom with a 15 year old son. I own my
own home. Oh by the way, I have a disability!” she says in “Hear Me” a video produced by the Nevada
Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Perez
captures an idea that is at the heart of this year's Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
(DDAM) theme: "See Me For Me." It builds recognition of the fact
that every person with a developmental disability is a unique individual
with their own interests, skills, and passions. It’s an outstanding theme
for DDAM – and it’s a concept we work to support year-round at ACL.
In
fact, ACL promotes a person-centered approach across our programs. This
approach puts the person receiving services, and their family, in the
driver's seat, developing a set of formal and informal supports based on
their individual strengths, culture, and goals. We’ve been working
with the aging and disability networks across the country for more than a
decade to incorporate these principles into the systems that support older
adults and people with disabilities, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve
made.
Promising
practices are found in every state. For example, some states are offering
people with developmental disabilities the option of self-directing the
services they receive through Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services
waivers. This means they get a budget, which they use to pay for the
services they decide will help them the most. They also decide who will
provide the services. If they decide they want less support with cleaning
and more transportation, they can make it happen. We’re excited to see this
model starting to spread.
ACL
and DD network partners work to empower people with developmental and other
disabilities to explore, and make the most of, the things that make them
unique. This starts with helping children get an early and accurate
diagnosis and connecting families with appropriate services and supports.
The early childhood and elementary years are also an important opportunity
for children to develop the skills to advocate for themselves.
University
Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) offer a
variety of diagnostic and support services to help families understand how
they can help their child thrive. For example, the Mailman Center for Child Development at the
University of Miami offers a variety of services emphasizing an
interdisciplinary and culturally competent approach. This work includes
helping parents understand how to best support their child with a
disability, helping them develop skills to advocate for their child, and
connecting them with other families who have shared similar experiences.
Many
family advocates, as well as individuals with developmental disabilities,
are involved in their State Council on Developmental Disabilities (DD
Councils), either as council members or as participants in programs like Partners in Policymaking.
ACL
also is working to promote accessible learning environments where children
can interact with peers with and without disabilities. Many UCEDDs offer
early childhood programs where children can receive specialized supports
without being completely isolated from their peers; the Early Childhood Education Program at Ohio
State University’s Nisonger Center is one such example.
As
the school years whiz by and the teenage years begin, students approach a
critical transition point that can help lay the groundwork for a successful
future career. Working while in high school, developing independent living
and specialized career skills, preparing for college, and maintaining high
expectations all can help improve future career outcomes.
Last
year, I made expanding employment opportunities for people with
disabilities and older adults one of the "five pillars" that
represent my top program priorities as ACL Administrator. ACL and our
grantees have been doing important work on this front. Through our Partnerships in Integrated Employment Systems Change
Grants, ACL is working to help states streamline their
bureaucracies and make competitive integrated employment the first and
preferred outcome for all people with developmental disabilities.
In
addition, ACL programs across the country are working to increase employment
opportunities for people with disabilities, for example:
- Centers
for Independent Living are working with young adults as they get ready
to leave school and enter the workforce.
- Assistive
Technology programs are helping people with disabilities discover,
test, and finance tools that can help them succeed in the workplace.
- ACL’s
National Institute for Disability, Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research is investing in projects to develop
evidence-based programs, practices, and policies to improve employment
opportunities for people will all types of disabilities.
- Protection
and Advocacy systems help remove barriers to employment and ensure
employment – and other -- rights are upheld.
And that’s just a few of them.
There
are signs that the work of so many is paying off. For the past 23 months in
a row, the percentage of people with disabilities in the workforce has
increased. However that number, 34%, is still far too low, and we still
have a lot more work to do. I want you to know that ACL remains committed
to this work.
I
am happy to say that more and more people with developmental disabilities
are enjoying older age. As their needs, and family support structures,
change with time, we must ensure that our aging networks are equipped to
support their unique needs. I am excited to see the aging and disability
networks coming together, combining forces to make it possible for all of
us to support more people, show the impact of our work, and do it better.
The aging and disability networks have asked ACL to help bring the two
communities together even more strongly, and we are looking forward to
working together to make that happen.
I
am grateful for the important work that ACL's grantees do every day to
support people with developmental disabilities at every stage of their
lives. I am proud to work alongside you to empower people with disabilities
to blaze their own trails, share their full selves with the world, and help
create a world that heeds the call to “See Me for Me.”
Read more ACL DD
Awareness Month Blogs:
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