March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month.  This national observance offers a chance to learn more about the vital contributions that people with disabilities are making in our communities.  Our nation continues to address serious budget issues, seeking to provide security – in every sense of the word – for all Americans and ensure that each one of us has the opportunity to pursue our dreams and to contribute our own unique talents to the fabric of our communities.  The diversity that enriches our nation and the freedoms that all Americans cherish are embodied in the lives of people with disabilities – those whose interests are often overlooked and whose needs are often unmet when budgets are tight.

In recognition of Disability Awareness Month wear a Silver Ribbon Lapel Pin, the symbol for DD Awareness, and a sign of support during March.  Silver Ribbon Lapel Pins are available for $2 each. We have a limited quantity, so purchase yours today!

 

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

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.”

A few voices in Missouri continue to support large institutional facilities, though efforts are underway to close Nevada and Northwest habilitation centers.

Legislation pending in the Missouri General Assembly is an important first step in helping our state make the move to provide all of the community-based services and support that people with disabilities need to live, work, play and worship with their fellow citizens.

Senate Bill 449, sponsored by Sen. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville, would require the Department of Mental Health to contract with an outside expert to develop a comprehensive plan to provide all needed services in the community to people currently living in state-run institutions. The plan would be presented to the General Assembly and other state officials for their consideration, education and action. Rep. Zachary Wyatt, R-Green Castle, has sponsored the companion House Bill 1077.

These bills are supported by virtually every disability-related organization in the state.

As a parent of a child with an intellectual disability and a council member, I believe that creating a plan that gathers all the information about how people can be successfully supported in the community is the responsible thing to do.

There are 749 individuals who live in our habilitation centers and state-operated community services. Although they comprise just 2 percent of all individuals served by Missouri’s Division of Developmental Disabilities, they use 15 percent of the Division’s budget.

In November 2011, the average cost of supporting an individual with community-based services in Missouri was $211 per day, according to Missouri Department of Mental Health. At the same time, the average cost of supporting an individual in a state habilitation center ranged from $353 per day to $578 per day, depending on the facility.

Providing services through state-run institutions is not only more expensive, it is not a sustainable system. Consider the impact of keeping these large facilities open for so few remaining residents.

There are more than 4,400 people in our state who are waiting for services. By transitioning to a more cost-effective service system, more individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will receive the support they need. These services will empower individuals to live and work alongside everyone else. These services also will enable these citizens to become contributing members of their communities. Clearly, community-based services are a much more equitable and fair way of distributing our public resources for individuals with disabilities in our state.

More than a decade has passed since the Supreme Court affirmed that people with disabilities should be given the same opportunities to participate in community life as those without disabilities. In Missouri, the census of individuals living in our institutions has reduced by over half in those 10 years. All but one of those moves into the community was successful. That’s an outstanding track record for Missouri’s Division of Developmental Disabilities.

I urge citizens to call their state legislators and ask them to take a proactive role in providing for our most vulnerable citizens in a fair and just way by supporting SB 449 and HB 1077. People of all abilities deserve to grow up knowing how it feels to be surrounded by family, friends, neighbors, classmates and co-workers.

Doug Riggs of Kirkwood is a parent of a child with a disability and a member of Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities.

 

Ask Your Senators & Representatives to CoSponsor
Restraint/Seclusion Bills (S. 2020 & H.R. 1381)

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES AND ASK THEM TO COSPONSOR THE KEEPING ALL STUDENTS SAFE ACT (S.2020 in the Senate and H.R. 1381 in the House).  These bills will protect children nationwide from restraint and seclusion in schools.  A Government Accountability Office study found hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and death from restraint and seclusion in school.  They included a young teen who hanged himself in a seclusion room while a teacher sat outside and a 7 year old who was restrained face down and died because she could not breathe.  Most of the students in the GAO study had disabilities.

The Senate bill, S. 2020, was introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (Chair, Health Education Labor and Pension Committee).  The House bill, H.R. 1381, was introduced by Congressman George Miller (Ranking Member, House Education and Workforce Committee).  The bills will ban physical restraint except in emergency situations when there is an immediate threat of physical harm.  Only 14 states limit the use of restraints to physical safety emergencies today.  Both bills protect children from dangerous seclusion.  The bills also ban restraints that interfere with breathing and mechanical and chemical restraints.  The bills require schools to notify parents on the same day that the technique is used.  Too many parents never find out what happened to their child.

Please email your Senators and Congressional Representatives and ask them to COSPONSOR the Keeping All Students Safe Act.

HOW TO SEND AN EMAIL MESSAGE TO CONGRESS:

SENATE.  You can email your Senators through their Senate website forms.    Go to http://1.usa.gov/Senat .You can find your two Senators by choosing your state at the top.  PLEASE EMAIL BOTH OF YOUR SENATORS.  Letters mailed through regular mail to the U.S. Congress are delayed for anthrax screening.  So, please use EMAIL.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.  You can find your Representative and send an email through the House website, http://1.usa.gov/HouseWrit .  You will need your zip code.

SAMPLE EMAIL MESSAGE YOU CAN SEND:

Dear Senator/Representative,

Please COSPONSOR the Keeping All Students Safe Act, S. 2020 in the Senate and H.R. 1381 in the House of Representatives.  The bill will create minimum standards to protect all children nationwide from abusive restraint and seclusion.

(Special instructions if your child/family member/friend was restrained or secluded:  tell their story if you feel comfortable.  Or just add a short sentence to say it happened to your child/someone you know.  Even if you do not have a story or do not want to share one, please email your Senators to ask them to cosponsor the bill.)

The Keeping All Students Safe Act will ban physical restraint except in emergency situations when there is an immediate threat of physical danger to a person.  Only 14 states require this today.  Both bills protect children from dangerous seclusion, where they are locked in a room or forced into a room where the door is otherwise blocked.  Far too often, children have been restrained or secluded for not doing assignments, being noisy, behavioral control, discipline, or punishment.  A Government Accountability Office study found hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and death from restraint and seclusion in school.  They included a young teen who hanged himself in a seclusion room while a teacher sat outside and a 7 year old who was restrained face down and died because she could not breathe.  The GAO documented at least 20 stories of children who died from restraint.  Other children suffered injuries, including broken bones and bloody noses, or had post-traumatic stress syndrome.

The bills will require schools to notify parents on the same day if a child has been subjected to the techniques, and to follow up in writing within 24 hours. Too many parents never find out what happened; 27 states have no parental notification requirements at all, and others have no deadlines.  Parents need to know quickly, so they can watch for concussions, hidden internal injuries, and trauma.  The bills ban life-threatening restraints, such as those that interfere with breathing. They ban chemical and mechanical restraint, like locking children into devices and chairs, and tying and duct-taping them to furniture.  The bills require the collection of data to improve decision-making and provide the public with information.  Neither bill prevents schools from using time out, where staff can work with a child to calm him/her in a quieter space together.

While some states have laws protecting children, many do not, and others are not very strong.  Please COSPONSOR THE KEEPING ALL STUDENTS SAFE ACT, S.2020 and H.R. 1381, to ensure that all children nationwide are protected from these abuses.

Sincerely yours,

Your name here

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More Resources:

– Keeping All Students Safe Act – Senate (S.2020)

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.uscongress/legislation.112s2020

– Keeping All Students Safe Act – House (H.R. 1381)

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.uscongress/legislation.112hr1381

– Senate Bill Description from Senator Harkin:

http://1.usa.gov/SenHarkRS1

– House Bill Description from Congressman Miller:

http://bit.ly/RepMillrRS

–GAO study describing the dangers of restraint/seclusion:

http://1.usa.gov/gaors7