CONSUMERS ENDORSE NEW STATE DISABILITY PROGRAM

About 20 people with physical disabilities made their way to Dover's Legislative Hall on March 10 to express their support for expanding State services for adults with physical disabilities. These people, who came from all across Delaware, were joining forces to persuade the Joint Finance Committee to accept a proposal being presented by the Department of Health & Social Services. At the heart of the plan is the reorganization of the Department's Divisions of Aging and Social Services into one new Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities. This new Division would continue to provide services found currently within the Division of Aging. Additionally, it would create a case management focal point for long term care services to adults with physical disabilities. Such a single point of entry for services to people with physical disabilities is presently nonexistent in Delaware's social service system. Consumers' testimony indicated that they supported this landmark opportunity because it would establish a way to finally be eligible for assistance.

The scope of services proposed in the new Division covers the full range of long term care issues faced by consumers. Among these, assistive technology is identified as a resource to be explored in enhancing a person's quality of life. Further development of this approach may again rely on consumer support to push it to the forefront as a need in both service delivery and ongoing planning. Achieving access to assistive technology may rest, in part, with a consumer advisory group which would work with the Division Director. The new organizational structure also calls for staff training to address the handling of strictly physical disability issues. It will be important to ensure that information on assistive technology is included in this training.