The Plight of People with Disabilities
A new and different world
Once it was a given that individuals with mental retardation
and developmental disabilities would live their lives in institutions
or family homes. But in recent years, federal and state governments
are downsizing costly institutional operations and placing
individuals in residential-style homes in neighboring communities.
Simultaneously, aging family members are preparing for their
loved ones with disabilities to continue living in their communities
after they’re gone. Experience shows that individuals with
developmental disabilities can be good friends and neighbors
who are capable of contributing to community life. But embracing
this new life brings them new challenges.
The financial realities
The majority of individuals with developmental disabilities count
on SSI as their sole source of income, a governmental disability
income program that restricts their ability to earn additional
income. As a result, these citizens, hoping for a more enjoyable,
independent life, instead enter the community as members of
the poorest, least employed and least educated minority group
in the United States. Obtaining safe, reliable homes that accommodate
their disabilities is a major obstacle. Once in those homes,
they often can’t afford basic household furnishings or mobility
and safety features that make a house a home.