THE FREE LANCE-STAR printed two letters in recent weeks by Charles Cooper ["Hands reach out to lift up a Down child and his family," Aug. 12] and Lynn Miller ["Just two more years, then what's to become of Megan?" July 25] about transitioning and support for people with disabilities. The paper also included an article about SNAP--the Special Needs Advocacy Program, created by Renata Thomas ["SNAP helps struggling parents," Aug. 8]. While I am happy to see the needs of people with disabilities addressed by The Free Lance-Star and Ms. Thomas, clarification on some of the issues should be addressed.
Ms. Thomas states that people with disabilities are "special." As the mother of two children, one with disabilities, I believe both of my children are special. Having a disability does not make someone "special," and the "pat 'em on the head, they're special" attitude feeds into the stereotype that people with disabilities need to be taken care of. It does little to promote the fact that people with disabilities are an equal part of our community.
Mr. Cooper's letter depicts how people with disabilities are contributing members of our community. His 48-year-old-son who has Down syndrome works at Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, his son's work success is not often the case for many with disabilities, as illustrated by Ms. Miller's letter about her daughter Megan. After many years and dollars poured into her education, Megan will be leaving school to sit at home, isolated from her community due to lack of support services in our state and local area--and, presumably, a lack of an appropriate transition plan to life after high school.
Transitioning--the process of preparing for life after school--can be difficult for any child, but it can be much harder for those with disabilities. Transitioning for kids without disabilities begins with the change from middle to high school, around age 14. It includes planning for classes that in the long term will lead to college, employment, and independent living, and they participate in extracurricular activities and sports for socialization and recreation.
Transitioning for kids with disabilities, by law, must begin by age 16--two years later than their peers. It can begin earlier, and should be done earlier, so children like Megan are not left behind.
Transitioning should center on what is needed for a person with a disability to be as independent as possible: independent living and self-help skills, recreational and social opportunities, post-secondary education, housing, and vocational skills.
And vocational training does not need to be only the four "F's" of food (cleaning lunch tables and pushing the cookie cart), filth (custodial), flowers (greenhouses), and folding towels as has been in the past and still exists today. Trans- ition planning should concentrate on a child's strengths and interests just as it should for his or her peers.
Transition planning, as Mr. Cooper notes, should include a transition team of local groups, agencies, schools, families, and, of course, the person who is transitioning. Unfortunately, even with a good transition team, the lack of state funding and local services makes transition planning difficult and can prohibit the quality of life after school.
Also, it should be noted that the community service boards that Mr. Cooper refers to only serve those with mental retardation and mental health issues. They do not serve the many with developmental disabilities (including those with autism, this nation's fastest growing disability), leaving them without the options available to those with mental retardation such as the one local Adult Activity Center.
In the SNAP article, one parent stated that his or her child can't work because they receive Medicaid. That is incorrect. People who have Medicaid can work. For more information, they can call their local Benefits, Planning, Assistance, and Outreach representative. A BPAO is available in Fredericksburg at the disAbility Resource Center.
Other parents in the SNAP article stated that the maze of disability services and organizations are hard to navigate. The dRC is a one-stop shop for those with disabilities and their families to help them navigate the maze of services. The dRC, a Center for Independent Living, serves people of all ages by providing information and referral, peer counseling, individual and systems advocacy, and independent living skills training among its many services and programs.
Finally, the SNAP article's sidebar noted that Virginia ranks 50th in funding for community-living supports, such as Medicaid waivers, for people with disabilities. Because state funding does not match the need, there are years-long waiting lists for these services, which are much less expensive to provide than the alternative of high-cost institutionalized living.
It is only too true that Virginia, one
Indeed, Virginia is the only state to pour money back into rebuilding institutions in the last 25 years. Many states have done away with institutionalized care altogether in the support and belief that all people should be able to live and work in their community.
Virginia needs to do that too.
KIMBERLY LETT is a youth services specialist with the disAbility Resource Center in Fredericksburg.