Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Enable Equal Access

Virginia has become the latest state to reach a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to close its large institutions for people with developmental disabilities and move them into communities.

Comprehensive agreements like the Jan. 26 settlement in Virginia already have been reached in Georgia and Delaware. A number of other states face possible enforcement activities as a result of the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says in part, "confinement in an institution severely diminishes everyday life activities of individuals, including family relations, social contacts, work options, economic independence, educational advancement, and cultural enrichment." Read more about the Virginia settlement and surrounding issues in a post from Doug Riggs of Missouri, a parent of a child with a disability and a member of Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities.

No comments:

Post a Comment