Re: Re: Fw: Closing of Anixter home for adults with severe disabilities

[Guest guest]

Thanks to Attorney Farley.  We must do both :  be creative with limited

funding AND be informed about the legal rights for our loved ones.  Advocacy is

required because school districts, agencies, etc. face " unfunded mandates. "  

The legal decisions, - mandating services needed -- e.g. Ligas in IL --  will

only be implemented if and when legislators provide the funds. 

Bonnie Dohogne

From: farleyocean <farleylaw@...>

Subject: Re: Fw: Closing of Anixter home for adults with severe

disabilities

IPADDUnite

Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2010, 9:07 AM

 

Anixter does not need to close and developmentally disabled adults do not have

to go without funding or services. For example, do agencies and parents know

that the State of Illinois has attempted to reduce funding of disabled adults

(medically fragile) at 21 and have not prevailed in a single court case to date.

Do agencies and parents know that the United States Department of Justice has

joined with Attorney H. Farley, Jr., of Naperville, IL to challenge this

ongoing practice by the State of Illinois ? Do agencies and parents know that

during the pendency of the lawsuit, plaintiffs who are turning 21 do not have

their benefits reduced during the pendency of the lawsuit ? Do parents know

that there are certain provisions in the Medicaid Act that may provide funding

for their disabled child who are not considered an emergency or priority by the

State of Illinois ? In my opinion the " strategy " is not to accept less or

nothing, the " strategy " is

to build on the success of others in this State and other States as there are

good federal laws to protect the disabled. If, however, no one challenges the

State of Illinois, then the outcome is obvious.

H. Farley, Jr.

Attorney At Law

1155 S. Washington Street

Naperville, IL 60540

630-369-0103

www.farley1.com

> >

> > If you all recall, this was the whole reason IPADD was created in the first

place, to talk about creative strategies for developing a safe and hopefully

productive life without public funding (besides SSI) and without

institutionalization. I co-presented at a parent group a few weeks ago,

organized by a wonderful Transition Coordinator, and there were about 20 parents

in the room, all of whom have children with developmental disabilities. When I

asked for a show of hands 'who has the childhood or adult waiver?' -- NONE of

them raised their hands. Not one.

> >

> > I'm always ready to facilitate conversations about what we can each do as

individuals or in groups of neighbors in our local communities. The trick is in

remembering that most of us don't have unlimited personal funds to use in

support of our adult children. I think that's where the 'creative' part needs

to come in. Assuming your person qualifies for SSI, currently at $674 per

month, how far does that go?

> >

> > L.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > From: ELLEN BRONFELD

> > Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 5:15 PM

> > IPADDUnite

> > Subject: Fw: Closing of Anixter home for adults with severe

disabilities

> >

> >

> >

> > Please see the email I received from Preston.

> > Well, everyone, is this a line of discussion you would like to have on

IPADDU? I believe Laurie Jerue has posited a similar question in the not too

distant past.

> > Ellen

> > Ellen Garber Bronfeld

> > egskb@

> > Re: Closing of Anixter home for adults with severe disabilities

> >

> > I think it might be profitable to open a line of discussion at IPADD about

how to live without government funding in support of disabled citizens. What we

will begin to see is this group home in spades - home after home closing,

agencies beginning to close, institutions opening up because they suddenly have

customers who used to be in communities, therapies at places like Helping Hand

closing down, special ed contracting and perhaps church basements opening again.

Perhaps we need to start thinking as a community about what we will do when all

we fought for slips away. That's what small government will mean to US.

> >

> > ----------------------------------------------------------

> >

> >