Services and Housing Choices for Those Who Have Disabilities

This is an exciting time to live in Texas! Not too many decades ago those with disabilities were not taught to read or write, or expect to have jobs and activities in their communities. Today they are becoming more and more integrated into their communities. In the past, families were advised by their doctors to put their children with disabilities "away" in institutions like the Texas State Schools. The parents had few resources and did not feel capable of caring for their child, so they listened to the advice of the "experts" and put them into institutions. They were not negligent parents, just ones without hope and options.

Ten to fifteen years later, many of us heard the same advise about our babies with disorders. "This child is not one you may be able to live with or educate. You may need to put her into an institution where she could have constant supervision and full-time staff to protect her." But the reaction was not the same. We, who were young parents in the 1970's and 1980's, knew there were more opportunities, new laws promoting equal access to education, new therapies and better medical care available. We didn't agree to "put our children away".

Today, the medical professionals are much more encouraging to families when first diagnosing a child with disabilities. They begin immediately to provide strategies to enable the child to become a fully functioning member of the society. Not necessarily functioning exactly like the general population, but contributing each in his or her own way. These courageous individuals provide inspiration to the general population. We become stronger as a community.

It is critical for individuals to live in safety, but the safety provided must not be at the expense of the opportunities of living and working among family, neighbors and friends. If no one had taught me to read, I would not be writing a letter today. I was expected to learn to read and write; therefore, I worked to meet my parents' expectations. It is the same with our children with disabilities, our expectations were high, and they rose to meet them. We chose not to put our children into institutions. We kept them in our homes, obtained therapy, education and resources for them. Those babies are now young adults. Adults who live and work and worship and VOTE in their communities. Is it any wonder that they choose to remain in the community where their friends, doctors, relatives and neighbors reside?

These adults have spent their lives preparing to live and contribute to others in the real world. They have prepared; but, without the funding of community-based services and housing, they lose the opportunities they worked so hard to earn. They want to do more than simply reside in their towns and cities, they want to be contributors in their communities. They are already providing positive role models for children who have disabilities. The expectations within the special needs population is ever-rising, and the people in our communities are becoming more aware of the needs, skills and contributions this population may make in their towns and cities. Communities want to include them.

Making provisions for the disabled population to stay in their own communities and have choices about where they live and work is the next step in our progression for accepting all men and women as being equal and entitled to rights. Let's not revert back to the old days of hiding them. They have committed no crime to cause them to be put into state institutions. We are proud of them!

These individuals are now choosing to live in their own towns and cities. They want to live in facilities that offer them the degree of support they need, but also allow them their freedom. Freedom to choose where they live and freedom to determine their own life paths. Wasn't there something in the constitution about that? Freedom for All!

Please support community-based services and housing..

From the ARC of TEXAS 78th Texas Legislature:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Texas currently supports a dual system of services for people with mental retardation and
related conditions(1) the institutional model and (2) community-based services.
Currently, less than 1 percent of the population in need of residential services chooses institutional care.

TDMHMR found that the yearly average cost per person enrolled in the HCS Waiver program (a program that supports independent living in the community for those having significant disabilities)was $46,055.81 compared to $71,555.10 per person per year in state schools.

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The ARC of Greater Tarrant County Governmental Affairs Committee is calling for the Texas Legislators and the members of the Department of Aging and Disability Services in the State of Texas to address these issues:

1. Provide services and housing options for those with disabilities

2. Increase funding for community based services and support, to allow the person requiring the service the option to live within their own community.

3. Adjust current use of funding - rightsizing to best meet the needs of more individuals

4. Re-evaluate the practicality of cost for institutional care model (State Schools) in consideration of the percentages of those with disabilities requesting institutional placement versus the alternative housing. Consider the fact that the vast majority of citizens with disabilities prefer community-based options, non-institutional housing.

5. Allow funding to follow the individual with adequate continuity of care and community follow-up

Won't you join us? Please sign our petition.
Be counted among the enlightened members of the community who choose to offer choices for all!

We, the undersigned, support the issues called for by The ARC of Greater Tarrant County Governmental Affairs Committee. We believe communities are strengthened by the inclusion of all law-abiding citizens.