Developmental Disabilities In Miami Dade County

According to Heller and Factor (as cited in Wood & Jackson, 2003) the number of “older adults age 60 and older who are diagnosed with mental retardation or developmental disabilities is expected to reach 1,065,000 by 2030.” In fact, “in the last 30 years, the life expectancy of people with intellectual disability has increased more dramatically than that of the general population” (Bigby, 2010). Doka and Lavin (2003) report that advances in medical care and a shift to deinstitutionalization have contributed to this increase in life expectancy for developmentally disabled adults. Increasingly, federal policy has linked addressing the housing needs of older adults with those of low-income and non-elderly disabled individuals, according to

Identify legislation and policies that are designed to promote the human rights, inclusion, equality and citizenship of individuals with learning disabilities.

People with disabilities are the nation’s largest minority and one of the few minority groups that any person can join at any time.

Americans with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the United States. Approximately fifty million people in the United States live with physical or mental handicaps. This minority group is unique in that it is made up of people from all socioeconomic classes, genders and races. Mental and physical impairments do not discriminate. As with other minorities, Americans with disabilities face unique challenges and discriminatory behaviors. For centuries, disabled people had to battle irrational fears and stereotypes due to the lack of medical understanding. The first demand for equal treatment for disabled people came in the 1960s. The struggle for disability rights has followed a similar pattern to many other civil rights movements – first negative stereotypes must be challenged, followed rallying for political and institutional change and lobbying for the self-determination of a minority community. As a result the examples of the African American civil rights and women’s rights movements encouraged the disability rights movement, and after decades of campaigning and lobbying, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990.

Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions that are due to mental or physical impairments. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, especially in language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living. Developmental disabilities are usually identified early in childhood and will probably persist throughout the individual’s lifespan.

The Importance of United Cerebral Palsy's Assistance to Developmentally Disabled Adults and the Health Care System as a Whole

There are millions of people across the United States who have a developmental disability. This may include things such as autism, Down Syndrome, or cerebral palsy. Developmental disabilities may also include an intellectual disability or a hearing, sight, or mobility issue. With so many people in our nation dealing with developmental disabilities, understanding what they are facing is important.

The medical model, the charity model, the social model, and the rights-based model have come hand in hand with some of the previous and current social policies. Individuals with disabilities have not been treated right through out the years. Many adults that have disabilities were not given the opportunity for many things, in turn they have very low income, housing, and education moreover, families that have children with disabilities are not provided with enough education and support from the government to help their children have a better life in the future.

People with disabilities constitute the nation’s largest minority group, and the ONLY group any of us can become a member of at any time.

2. Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities is an independent state agency that advocates on behalf of Georgians and families living with developmental disabilities. They provide Developmental Disability Services and Resources both in house and online services to parents and families.

As someone with an interest in volunteering for this cause as well as constantly preparing myself for staring and harassment every time I step out of my wheelchair, what I most desire to accomplish as a member of the Council is to raise acceptance of children with physical or mental handicaps, invisible or visible. It is from this that I would like to gain a better knowledge in civics in order to better advocate for this

Today, people with disabilities must include their voices across their states. In the article Strategies to Incorporate the Voices of People with Significant Disabilities in UCEDD Information Gathering and Operations it addressed research-based information on people with diverse abilities. People with disabilities have the right to active participation in their voice in policies that affect them. This research is current because it allows people with significant disabilities to present their research in a public forum. People with disabilities get to know and work closely in their research. Also, people with significant disabilities may have the opportunity to attend a conference and present their research and work in a public forum.

Successful employment remains a critical issue for people with disabilities, although legislative mandates and a gradual change in attitudes across our culture have brought about some improvement. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has clarified the legal rights of both individuals with disabilities and employers; at the same time, however, both groups still face important issues in employment, such as the disclosure of disabilities and the provision of reasonable workplace accommodations. Likewise, successful employment experiences require a match between the skills of individuals with disabilities and the skills needed for jobs.

In the United States of American six and a half million people, on average, have intellectual and or developmental disabilities. This translates into two and a half percent of the population (Morstad 2010). Globally, about two hundred million people have intellectual and or developmental disabilities. Worldwide, this makes up for three percent of the global population (Status and Prospects of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities). As organizations and case studies for intellectual and developmental disabilities become more prevalent so does the knowledge of capabilities of these individuals. Some examples of these organizations include Special Olympics, Best Buddies, Easter Seals, 321 Foundation, and the National Disability Rights Network. These organizations work to promote equal rights for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities through athletic opportunities, education, work force, health services and in communities across the

Approximately 15% of the world’s population is, in a way, disabled. Whether it is a physical disability or a serious chronic disease, we have about one billion people in the world that live with a disability every day of their lives. It often occurs that these people are seen as an outcast of society; people that cannot live normal lives. It is important to realize that this is not true at all. People with disabilities are completely able to be part of the world. It is just the world’s duty to accept them.