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History of Unlock the Waiting Lists!
In 1998,
inspired by a sense of solidarity found Rally
at the Capitol in March 1998, seven advocates from Georgia attended the “A Key
of Our Own” conference training in New Orleans to hear about a growing national
movement to shine light on the challenge of waiting lists for aging and
disability supports. The combined number of people waiting for three of the
waiver programs that deal with these populations are over 7,000. Some of the
original seven included
Grace Covington-Fricks (UAP, TFCC),
Sarita Reddy (UAP, Advocacy Alliance, Parent), Andrew Hales (Georgia
Council on Aging), Catherine Stefanavage (Advocacy Alliance, Parent),
Mark Johnson (Shepherd, Independent Living networks) Beth Tumlin,
(Georgia ARC Network, People First, AA, Parent), and Carol Jones (Mark’s
attendant/Shepherd volunteer). Since that time, Unlock has focused its advocacy
efforts primarily for people with physical and developmental disabilities.
However, the goal of this Campaign continues to be to eliminate and/or reduce waiting lists in
Georgia for all home and community-based services that support people with
disabilities. We hope to
accomplish several things to this end:
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bring together stake holders from the
different disability groups throughout Georgia to work together: i.e.,
mental retardation and other developmental disabilities; physical
disabilities and spinal cord/brain injuries; and the disabled who need
in-home support to avoid unnecessary institutionalization
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create a “partnering” between these
individuals, their families, and their advocates with providers,
governmental leaders and agencies, and legislators,
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provide a focus, with consistent and
successful strategies which can be used throughout the state,
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bring media attention and public
awareness to the critical needs of individuals and their families,
without which there will continue to be little priority and little funding.
The short term waiting list is composed of individuals needing immediate support, while the long term planning list is a "working waiting list" that is more flexible, and beneficial when used to learn and plan.
For more detailed information about the number of people with DD waiting for help,
please click here.
As of December 2007 the number waiting for help include:
Total MRWP Short-Term: 3,177 people
Total MRWP Long-Term: 2,604 people
ICWP/TBI waiver programs: 122 people
Total people waiting for help in Georgia are 5,903.
The campaign is a targeted effort by a coalition of Georgia disability organizations to educate the public and change public policy. The mission is to reduce and/or eliminate waiting lists for thousands of people with disabilities, the frail elderly, and their families who need home and community-based services.
For more detailed information about the Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign,
please click here.
Unlock
Stories
Click here to see our new Unlock Video (56K)
Click here to see our new Unlock Video (DSL)
There are over 6,400 families with their own stories. We talked to seven of them
and collected the following stories. Feel free to download them and give
one to
your legislators with a hand written thank you note. As I read them, I am reminded why this campaign is so
important. Thank you to each of these families for being willing to tell their
own story.
Unlock
Fact Sheets
The latest Unlock the Waiting Lists! Fact Sheet and other information of
interest.
These two charts show the number of persons currently
receiving services through the waiver programs of the Department of Human
Resources.
For More Information
Dave Blanchard, Director of Public Policy
Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities
(404) 881-9777 x215
dave@aadd.org
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