Waiting List Information, from NoEwait.net

PO Box 411 • Parker, CO 80134 noewait@noewait.net • www.noewait.net

Hundreds of Thousands of People with Disabilities and their Families Across the United States Wait for Help.

The problem:

Each day 300,000+ (reported by advocacy organizations) children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, Down Syndrome and related conditions and their families - in almost every state – go without services such as therapy, personal care and community supports. Most wait for years to get help. These individuals and families are also shackled to their own state, because, no matter where they are on their own state’s waitlist (or even if they are receiving services), they must start all over again in the new state.

The causes:

Waitlists are growing because of inadequate state and federal funding, the lack of a coherent and inclusive national policy and laws to entitle services and portability of services from state-to-state, and also the increased longevity of individuals with developmental disabilities.

The effects:

Waitlists are devastating. Individuals with disabilities who received training and education in the public schools lose the skills they acquired. Also physical mobility and speech improvements gained through school-based therapies are diminished or lost altogether.

Thousands, who with proper training and support, could be employed and be paying taxes, are not.

Families are relegated to a destitute status. Single-parent-families become full-time caregivers, dependent upon social programs for their income.

Families are pulled apart and exhausted by the intense years of often providing 24/7 care

Military families and others who seek or need to maintain employment must reject assignments and potential jobs and advancement because services are not available without going through the waitlists of other states.

The solutions:

National laws should be enacted that entitle people with disabilities to services in each and every state, allowing an individual to find adequate services no matter where they live or move. This will require adequate levels of funding.

How do we get there?

Citizenry

, leaders, elected officials and others need to be educated and galvanized to action by any and all means possible to pass state and national laws, policies and guidelines to end waitlists and provide portability of services.

NOEWAIT’s mission is:

"

To unite efforts of families, self-advocates, advocates providers, government and citizens to change laws and policies across the country to eliminate waitlists for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

We need your help. Contact

Noewait@noewait.net. Web page http://www.noewait.net/ NO WAIT, NO BOUNDARIES Services when we need them, where we need them

Join our listserv, and visit us on Facebook (adaexpertise). Send us a message, at mdubin@pobox.com.