Together For Choice (TFC) is an advocacy organization based in Chicago but with members from all over the country. According to its Website,
"Together for Choice was organized by providers and families across the country seeking to enhance the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to choose where to live and how to spend their days. We stand for the proposition that individuals with developmental disabilities should have the same rights as everyone else to decide where to live, work, recreate and receive services."
CHOICE...to live a life worth living
Misericordia serves 600 people with moderate to profound disabilities, on and off campus. If you are in Chicago and have a chance to visit, it is a fine example of the variety of good quality residential and work programs that are possible for people with I/DD.
The 2018 conference hosted a wide array of speakers. You can listen and watch videos of the speakers here.
To make sense of the acronyms used in regard to people with disabilities, here is a helpful glossary from the TFC blog:
ADA = Americans with Disabilities Act
A federal law enacted in 1990 that protects people with disabilities from discrimination.
ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder
A developmental disability affecting communication, behavior, and social interaction. ASD has wide variation in type and severity of symptoms experienced.
AT = Assistive technology
Any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of people with I/DD. Can be a low-technology item (e.g., communication board with fuzzy felt) or involve special computers and software.
CMS = Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that oversees federal Medicare and Medicaid policy and states’ implementation.
DSP = Direct Support Professional
A professional who supports with people with disabilities accomplish activities of daily living.
FLSA = Fair Labor Standards Act
The law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping, and standards for child labor, which pertains to full-time and part-time workers in federal, state, and local governments as well as the private sector. The 14(c) provision of the FLSA offers a certificate to employers to hire people with disabilities and pay them in proportion to their level or productivity.
HCBS = Home- and Community-Based Services
Services funded by Medicaid to provide people with I/DD, physical disabilities, and/or mental illness supports in community-integrated settings.
HHS = (U.S. Department of) Health and Human Services
The cabinet-level department that oversees social service programs including many I/DD services. The Secretary of HHS is appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate.
I/DD = Intellectual and developmental disabilities
An umbrella term describing disabilities that affect cognitive, physical, and/or emotional development. Diagnoses of I/DD are always present before age 18 and are often present from birth.
ICF/IID = Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
A residential setting funded by state Medicaid entitlements (separate from HCBS). ICF/IDDs are larger settings than typical homes and typically support people with higher support needs.
IDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
A law that allows for a free and appropriate public education to eligible children with I/DD and ensures special education and associated services to those children.
PCP = Person-centered planning
An approach to engaging with people with I/DD to help them identify their strengths and use that information to design the best plan with appropriate supports for a successful and fulfilling life.
PCPID = President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
A committee appointed by the President to advise the White House and HHS on issues related to I/DD.
QIDP = Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional
A license offered through state human services departments for case management staff supporting people with I/DD
VR = Vocational rehabilitation
Services offered to people with I/DD to enable them to obtain the skills and resources needed to find and keep employment.
WOTC = Work Opportunity Tax Credit
A federal tax credit available to employers that hire individuals from certain groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment, including people with I/DD.
The 2018 conference hosted a wide array of speakers. You can listen and watch videos of the speakers here.
To make sense of the acronyms used in regard to people with disabilities, here is a helpful glossary from the TFC blog:
ADA = Americans with Disabilities Act
A federal law enacted in 1990 that protects people with disabilities from discrimination.
ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder
A developmental disability affecting communication, behavior, and social interaction. ASD has wide variation in type and severity of symptoms experienced.
AT = Assistive technology
Any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of people with I/DD. Can be a low-technology item (e.g., communication board with fuzzy felt) or involve special computers and software.
CMS = Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that oversees federal Medicare and Medicaid policy and states’ implementation.
DSP = Direct Support Professional
A professional who supports with people with disabilities accomplish activities of daily living.
FLSA = Fair Labor Standards Act
The law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping, and standards for child labor, which pertains to full-time and part-time workers in federal, state, and local governments as well as the private sector. The 14(c) provision of the FLSA offers a certificate to employers to hire people with disabilities and pay them in proportion to their level or productivity.
HCBS = Home- and Community-Based Services
Services funded by Medicaid to provide people with I/DD, physical disabilities, and/or mental illness supports in community-integrated settings.
HHS = (U.S. Department of) Health and Human Services
The cabinet-level department that oversees social service programs including many I/DD services. The Secretary of HHS is appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate.
I/DD = Intellectual and developmental disabilities
An umbrella term describing disabilities that affect cognitive, physical, and/or emotional development. Diagnoses of I/DD are always present before age 18 and are often present from birth.
ICF/IID = Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
A residential setting funded by state Medicaid entitlements (separate from HCBS). ICF/IDDs are larger settings than typical homes and typically support people with higher support needs.
IDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
A law that allows for a free and appropriate public education to eligible children with I/DD and ensures special education and associated services to those children.
PCP = Person-centered planning
An approach to engaging with people with I/DD to help them identify their strengths and use that information to design the best plan with appropriate supports for a successful and fulfilling life.
PCPID = President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
A committee appointed by the President to advise the White House and HHS on issues related to I/DD.
QIDP = Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional
A license offered through state human services departments for case management staff supporting people with I/DD
VR = Vocational rehabilitation
Services offered to people with I/DD to enable them to obtain the skills and resources needed to find and keep employment.
WOTC = Work Opportunity Tax Credit
A federal tax credit available to employers that hire individuals from certain groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment, including people with I/DD.
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