it’s time to tell California’s elected officials to keep the promise. Does someone you love have a developmental disability, such as cerebral palsy, autism or an intellectual disability? Do you work with individuals with disabilities or their families? The Lanterman Act of 1969 established for people with developmental disabilities the right to receive the supports and services they need to help them lead full, productive lives. This landmark law also makes California the only state in the nation to guarantee all residents with disabilities and their families access to services without lengthy waiting periods. As a result, 273,000 Californians with developmental disabilities receive services through the Regional Centers, a network of 21 publicly funded nonprofit agencies that connect clients with the most appropriate services for their particular condition and situation. Over 200,000 workers in California provide these services directly or indirectly. Although California serves the largest number of people with developmental disabilities of any state, its DD budget is lower than that of the third largest state, New York. The formulas used to fund DD services and the workers who provide them have been frozen for as long as 30 years. The result is extremely high staff turnover, the lowering of quality standards and training for personnel in this industry, and unmanageable client caseloads. Due to decades of underfunding, the promise California made to those affected by developmental disabilities is at risk of being completely broken. The Keep the Promise Coalition, a group of families and friends of those with developmental disabilities, staff who work with them, and other concerned citizens, is working to increase state funding of the Lanterman Act and to improve DD services. Please join our coalition today and help us hold California’s elected officials accountable for Keeping the Promise of the Lanterman Act alive! Please join our coalition online at:
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 11:50:38 +0000