THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER : Letters To The Editor
Letter: Now comes the hard part
A 50-year dream has come true with the court decision this past week on the lawsuit of Ligas vs. the state human service agencies. If implemented correctly — emphasis on if — thousands of adults with developmental disabilities will be given the opportunity to live in smaller, more normal group homes that are integrated into the community.
Illinois has one of the worst reputations in the nation for being an “institutional state,” lagging behind the rest of the country in placing people in community settings. Large, outmoded institutions for persons with developmental disabilities should indeed go the way of orphanages.
The hardest part lies ahead, however, and we advocates for people with disabilities are willing to partner with the state to facilitate the court order in ways that will cause the least disruption in the lives of the effected individuals.
— Don Moss, executive director, United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois, Springfield
Copyright 2011 The State Journal-Register. Some rights reserved
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