DIA
What is the Disability Integration Act?
The Disability Integration Act (DIA) is a civil rights, bipartisan and bicameral legislation, introduced by Senators Charles Schumer, Minority Leader (D-NY) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) in the Senate and Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) in the House, to address the fundamental issue that people who need Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) are forced into institutions and losing their basic civil rights. The legislation (S.117, H.R.555) builds on the 25 years of work that ADAPT has done to end the institutional bias and provide seniors and people with disabilities home and community-based services (HCBS) as an alternative to institutionalization. It is the next step in our national advocacy after securing the Community
PASS THE DISABILITY INTEGRATION ACT NOW!
Disability advocacy organizations, including ADAPT and ACI have been advocating for passage of the federal Disability Integration Act of 2019. This proposed federal legislation ensures that any insurance company willing to provide institutional support would also be required to cover home and community based support for individuals with long term services and supports. When enacted, this law will allow individuals the option of obtaining those needed services in their home or community rather than in an institutional or segregated residential setting. In January, the Disability Integration Act was reintroduced in US Senate (Bill no. S 117) and in the US House of Representative (Bill No. H.R. 555).
Visit disabilityintegrationact.org for more information.
Senator Cory Booker, and Representatives Donald Payne Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and Chris Smith have signed their names onto this important bi-partisan (support from Republicans and Democrats) legislation, and we want to thank them. However, several lawmakers from NJ who have not yet publicly supported the Disability Integration Act, including Senator Robert Menendez, Rep. Frank Pallone (6th Congressional District) and Rep. Mikie Sherril (11th Congressional District).
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By Sherry Neal, RN – BC, CDDN The field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) has come a long way. Unfortunately, we continue to have persons residing in large institutional settings across the U.S., generally due to funding problems for a person to move into a community or smaller residence. Even though a person may still reside in an institution, the health care services provided are leaps and bounds ahead of what it used to be. Language for reference to persons with I/DD has also changed. We hear persons referred to less and less as “mentally retarded”. Retarded means less advanced than what is expected at a certain age or a delay in expectations or accomplishments. So while this term describes most of the persons we care for, it is socially offensive and no longer accepted. Persons with I/DD were also called or labeled “idiot”, “imbecile”, “resident”, “moron” and “feeble minded”. Staff working within the field of I/DD would be appalled to hear those labels now. In 2010, then president Barack Obama signed a bill commonly referred to as “Rosa’s Law”. It effectively removed the terminology “mentally retarded” or “mental retardation” from any federal records and replaced those terms with “intellectual disability”. The first known reference to mental retardation was noted in a very obscure document and the year was – 1552 B.C. That was 1,552 years before Jesus Christ even walked the earth! So if the condition was noted approximately 5,122 years ago, why did it take until the 1960’s for newborn screenings to become available? Genetic testing was nonexistent. Now, when an infant is born most states have specific screening panels for newborn health and disability problems, although they are not uniform among states. Most of the states that screen, screen for about 34 different conditions. Health care disparity is still an issue. The mission statement for HRS, Inc. is “To assist vulnerable persons to achieve a health status and quality of life comparable to that of the population at large.” A person with I/DD should have the right to be as healthy as their neurotypical peers. But access to healthcare and the knowledge of how to care for a person with I/DD is often quite a challenge. If you find a healthcare provider (HCP) to see the person, that HCP may know nothing about I/DD or any special techniques to make the visit be more interactive and reduce the anxiety and fear of the person. YOU are the trainer. Do not be afraid to provide education for the HCP if they are unfamiliar with this population. They can learn from you. You are the expert, not the HCP in this case. Reading the history of I/DD and how care has moved forward is fascinating. It fires me up to truly use our mission and help all people to have as good a health status as possible with a great quality of life. Some YouTube videos that can help you truly see the history are, “Lost in Laconia” and “Willowbrook” which are enthralling, yet very disturbing. Learn, so that we do not repeat mistakes of the past. |
The New American Movement for People with Disabilities wants to remind you that March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public proclamation that the month of March should be recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to “increase public awareness of the needs and potential of Americans with developmental disabilities.” Though our mission remains largely the same, so much has changed since 1987. While we still aim to increase public awareness, our focus is to create a world in which all of us can live in as equals regardless of our different abilities.
Mayor J Christian Bollwage and the City Council of Elizabeth issue a resolution declaring March as Developmental Disability Awareness Month in the city of Elizabeth.
The New American Movement for People with Disabilities commends the New Jersey State Legislature for passing the senate bill known as SJR31, which officially recognizes the month of October as Disability History and Awareness month across the state.
After recognizing that over 18% of New Jersey residents have some form of disability, the state government of New Jersey realized the need to increase public awareness of disabilities. Through the declaration of October as Disability Awareness Month, the State of New Jersey hopes to show its citizens that “people with disabilities have the right to be treated, above all else, as individuals.”
The passing of this bill means that the State of New Jersey will incorporate disability history and the disability rights movement into the public school curriculum. The New American Movement for People with disabilities is ecstatic about the passing of Senate Bill SJR31 and is looking forward to participating with New Jersey schools in spreading disability awareness.
The NAMPWD team praises the bipartisan efforts of the State legislature and is proud to officially recognize October as Disability Awareness month.
To learn more about the bill, please visit the New Jersey State Legislature website, or follow this link. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/SJR/31_I1.HTM