Article Contributed on: 7/4/2009 6:27:33 AM
Denver Fox, from Parker, is leading a national drive to solve the critical wait list crisis for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
All across Colorado, there are over 12 thousand people with developmental disabilities waiting for critical services such as home health services, equipment and supplies, residential services, and therapies. There are also hundreds of thousands of others waiting for services they need in the other states.
Over 5.4 million Americans have intellectual and developmental disabilities,including conditions such as Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Down Syndrome and Autism, to name only a few. These individuals need to receive services in their homes or in small community-based programs. Not enough funds are appropriated by state legislatures to meet these needs. The only option currently available is expensive, inadequate and unwanted institutional care.
If you know someone waiting years for services, you know how difficult it is for them and their family. Many parents have to quit their job to provide the needed care, financial and emotional strain leads to despair and often reaches a crisis especially among parents in their 70's and 80's. And, people with developmental disabilities and their family cannot move freely from state to state once they receive services because they would go to the bottom of the waitlist in the new state.
The National Organization to End the Waitlist (NOEWAIT) - a group of concerned parents and volunteers with thousands of followers nationally- has written a petition calling for the President and Congress to address the problem. Currently, over 6,000 people have signed the petition. We ask that readers go to www.noewait.net and add their name to the petition. Together we can solve this problem if enough of us tell our elected leaders to fix it. Please help!
Denver Fox, Ed.D.
Founder and moderator of NOEWAIT
17454 E Dewberry Drive
Parker, CO 80134
303 773 3890
noewait@noewait.net