NEW
YORK, July 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Young
adults Joey, Andy, Sam, Emma, and Natasha are best friends who do
everything together. But if they want to become roommates, they
will have to forgo any of the government benefits to which they are
entitled as individuals with developmental disabilities. No such
rule exists for other protected groups, such as veterans or senior
citizens. Families for Disability Rights urges New York to address this issue.
Twenty-five years ago, the Supreme Court issued a landmark
ruling known as the Olmstead Decision. Olmstead was
meant to usher in a new era of opportunities for individuals with
intellectual or developmental disabilities, allowing people to
transition into more inclusive environments, if they choose to and
were deemed ready by medical professionals. While New York's Office for People with
Developmental Disabilities celebrates Olmstead's silver
jubilee, the State continues to enact policies that misinterpret
the ruling's intent.
In New York State, the
above-mentioned five friends with special needs do not have the
right to choose where they live and with whom. Olmstead
centers on individual choice. The reality in New York veers away from this. Imagine being
told you can no longer enjoy your morning coffee at your quiet
kitchen table because it is not "inclusive" enough. Instead, you
must now go every morning to a bustling coffee shop on the corner.
This analogy captures the essence of the current situation—
New York policies force people
into more inclusive settings without considering personal
preference.
To make matters worse, New York
continues to push for managed care for people with developmental
disabilities. This shift would take decision-making power away from
individuals and hand it over to Managed Care Organizations whose
primary focus is cost reduction rather than providing the
individual with autonomy or meeting their needs.
One positive sign has been the appointment of Kim Hill as NY's
Chief Disability Officer. Ms. Hill actively encourages community
and advocate participation in the process of crafting the next
Olmstead report. Unfortunately, in the meantime, state
policies continue to move in the wrong direction, eroding
individual choice with each passing month.
This anniversary should serve as a call to action. Let's put
pressure on the State to actually honor the Olmstead
Decision and the self-determination it was meant to uphold.
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SOURCE Families for Disability Rights