"[N.Y] Assembly Minority Protects Rights Of Individuals With Developmental Disabilities"
Assembly Minority Task Force on Protecting the Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities to hold series of statewide forums
(Long Island, NY) The impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C. continues to generate concerns from family members, caregivers, community organizations and individuals with developmental disabilities throughout the transition process into more integrated work settings. As a result, the Assembly Minority Task Force on Protecting the Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities has been created to evaluate the effectiveness of current transition plans for those in sheltered workshops, developmental centers, and community homes and to ensure that the input and desires of people with developmental disabilities are being considered.
The task force will be hosting regional forums across the state in an effort to better address the current transition plans and other important issues facing individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. This forum, the fourth in a series of statewide events, will take place on Wednesday, April 20 from Noon to 2 p.m. at the Medford Fire Department, 171 Oregon Ave., Medford.
“As legislators, it is our job to gather information, assess it and propose meaningful solutions to issues affecting our community. This task force will provide us the opportunity to hear about concerns directly from those with developmental disabilities, their families and local organizations,” said Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue). “I look forward to an open discussion that will ultimately provide us insight to make meaningful reforms and improve the quality of life for those with developmental disabilities.”
“A concerted, statewide effort to improve services for those with developmental disabilities is the only way to make certain every New Yorker is fairly represented,” said Assemblyman Clifford W. Crouch (R-Bainbridge), task force chairman. “No New Yorker should be marginalized, and it is our job to make sure that never happens. Together, we will address the concerns of those with developmental disabilities and aggressively tackle those concerns head-on.”
Representatives from non-profit organizations and facilities, community leaders and mental health experts have been invited to attend and provide testimony. The task force is also encouraging individuals with disabilities and their families to share their firsthand experiences as a result of the Olmstead Decision.
For more information on the task force, please contact the Assembly Minority Office of Public Affairs at 518-455-5073.
To submit comments, send an email to: minpaff@assembly.state.ny.us
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What better time than now, whether you live in New York or elsewhere, to get the lowdown on Olmstead, the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act?
The Olmstead decision has been routinely misinterpreted and distorted by many advocacy organizations, government agencies, and the media, as a mandate for "community only" placement for people with disabilities. At its core, it is a thoughtful decision which balances individual need, choice, and state resources, while prohibiting "unjustified isolation" on the basis of disability.
Read more:
Olmstead, brought to you by the U.S. Supreme Court
Olmstead Misinterpreted
The Americans with Disabilities Act
What does the ADA "integration mandate" really mean?
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