WHEREAS:
Public policy should support the fullest possible independence, inclusion, and participation in the community for adults and children with disabilities and elderly persons.
Public policy should respect and support the important role that family members can play in assisting many adults and children with disabilities and elderly persons to live decent lives in their homes or with their families.
AND WHEREAS:
The federal, state, and county Medicaid program is a major source of funding for long-term supports for people with disabilities and elderly persons.
THEREFORE:
We call upon all elected and appointed federal, state, and county officials to take all necessary steps to assure that public programs, and especially Medicaid, promote the rights and welfare of people with disabilities and elderly persons. Specifically, we call upon public officials to support the following principles:
Adults and children with disabilities and elderly persons, along with family caregivers, must be offered a meaningful choice between in-home community supports and out-of-home placement.
Public programs, and especially Medicaid, must provide, at the minimum, the same level of funding to support adults and children with disabilities and elderly persons in their homes in the community as they provide to maintain people in nursing homes and other institutions.
Among the options available to adults with disabilities and caregivers of young children, adults with severe cognitive disabilities, and elderly persons must be the opportunity to control funding to hire and supervise their own supports and services.
Updated June 8, 1999
Access to Independence of Cortland County, Inc.
Advocacy Board
The Alliance
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Chapter 243
ARISE
Arthritis Foundation of CNY
Catholic Charities Elderly Services
Center on Human Policy
CNY Chapter of the New York American Civil Liberties Union
Consumer Advocacy Committee
Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Center of CNY
Early Childhood Direction Center (Syracuse)
ENABLE
Exceptional Family Resources
Familycapped
Independent Living Services
Invested Family Services, Inc.
Kirkpatrick Caregivers Support Group (for Alzheimer's Association of CNY)
L'Arche Syracuse
Liberty Resources, Inc.
NYS Association of Self-Directed Personal Assistance Programs
NYS Independent Living Council, Inc.
NYS Self-Advocacy Association
North Country Self-Advocates
Office for Persons with Disabilities, Catholic Diocese of Syracuse
Onondaga Council on the Disabled
Person to Person: Citizen Advocacy Association, Inc.
Public Interest Law Firm, College of Law, Syracuse University
Respect Life Office, Catholic Diocese of Syracuse
Self-Advocates of Central New York
Spaulding P.R.A.Y. Residence Corporation
Syracuse Disabled in Action
Transitional Living Services
If your organization is interested in endorsing this statement, send an Email message with your organization name and address and place "COMMON PRINCIPLES ENDORSEMENT" in the subject line.