Common Disability Agenda
Introduction: An Executive Summary
2005 Common Disability Agenda
A Call to Action:
Toward Our Common Future
Too often persons with disabilities are seen as a “niche” interest group, separate in its interests from the rest of the population. It is long past time to debunk that stereotype as it disserves both persons with disabilities and their fellow citizens who live - for now - without disabilities. Our interests and our futures are much too inextricably intertwined to waste time or money solving problems just for persons with disabilities.
It is time to make an adequate social investment in the infrastructure needed for a productive, democratic and caring society for all citizens, with and without disabilities.
Access to basic, comprehensive health care is a common goal.
Michigan needs healthy citizens with access to comprehensive health care and education about healthy life styles. Providing preventive and basic health care is cost effective and avoids expensive care later. Our country spends billions of dollars each year because it fails to provide preventive care, and loses billions more from lost production when workers or their family members are ill. Persons with disabilities need health care for these reasons and because remaining healthy maintains independence and reduces reliance on outside supports. Yet persons with disabilities are less likely than persons without disabilities to have access to basic health care.
Reforming Michigan’s long term care system is a common goal.
Michigan needs to reform its long term care system into a system which supports Baby Boomers in their homes as they age. We cannot afford to nor should we continue to rely on nursing homes as the first source of services for people who could continue to live in their own homes if they had supports. Persons with disabilities likewise need access to supports to live independently in their own homes.
A strong workforce is a common goal.
Michigan needs workers, all workers. Workers are taxpayers and productive contributors to the economic welfare of their communities. Persons with disabilities can and should be workers, but face numerous barriers as they seek to access the workplace.
Affordable, accessible, visitable housing for all is a common goal.
Michigan needs adequate housing for all its citizens. Major goals related to employment and independent living cannot be achieved if people cannot find a place to live. Yet there is no housing market in the entire country in which a person with a disability living on Supplementary Security Income can afford a safe, accessible modest studio or one bedroom apartment. Michigan must participate in federal subsidized housing programs to the maximum extent possible, give accessibility requirements some teeth, and pass legislation requiring visitability in all new public housing.
Accessible, affordable and available Public Transportation is a common goal.
Many Michigan citizens with or without disabilities depend on public transportation in order to pursue their education, to get to work, to receive medical services and to participate in community activities such as church, shopping and visiting family and friends. These transportation services need to be safe, seamless, affordable and universally accessible. Nearly half of Michigan's 83 counties have little or no public transportation services. To achieve the goal of a statewide system of accessible, affordable and available transportation, Michigan must develop and sustain innovative, diverse and user-friendly options for transit while insuring a stable funding base.
Thoughtful and effective Land Use Policy is a common goal.
The majority of Michigan citizens live in urban and suburban environments which sprawl across large geographic areas. Citizens with disabilities are increasingly disconnected and disadvantaged in these environments in large part because they lack the financial resources, the natural supports, and the transportation to readily achieve inclusion in these sprawling human settlements. Land use policies which plan for an integrated network of transportation, services, neighborhoods, leisure activities and technology supports will greatly increase opportunities for persons with disabilities to be connected to and included in urban and suburban environments which are livable, diverse, and accessible.
Inclusive, high quality education is a common goal.
Michigan needs well-educated citizens. They are key to our economic future. Persons with disabilities also need education – it leads them to work and to physical and economic independence. Yet we continue to maintain two separate education systems – one for persons with disabilities, and one for persons without disabilities. A dual system is untenably expensive, and it doesn’t work for children with disabilities who have a higher drop-out rate than children without disabilities.
Enjoying full rights as citizens is a common goal.
Michigan is stronger with integrated, inclusive communities. Persons with disabilities must be able to make decisions about where and with whom they will live, to live safely with their rights protected, and to have equal access with their non-disabled neighbors to jobs and to full enjoyment of their communities.
A voting, active citizenry is a common goal.
Michigan needs active citizens who vote and participate in their communities. Persons with disabilities should be voters, but face many barriers at the polls.
Access to assistive technology is a common goal.
Michigan must maintain and expand programs and services which promote awareness and use of assistive technology to accommodate persons with disabilities.
“NOTHING ABOUT ME WITHOUT ME”
The undersigned organizations are committed to policies that support access, choice and control by persons with disabilities about where they live, where they get their services, and who provides their services. We are also committed to the principle that persons with disabilities must be directly involved in the development of policies that affect their lives if those policies are to be successful.
- The Arc Michigan
- The Association for Community Advocacy
- Deaf, Etc.
- Developmental Disabilities Institute
- Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- MARO Employment and Training Association
- Michigan Association of Centers for Independent Living
- Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns
- Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
- Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council
- Michigan Disability Rights Coalition
- Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America
- Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc.
- Michigan Rehabilitation Association
- Michigan Rehabilitation Council
- Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter
- United Cerebral Palsy of Metropolitan Detroit
- United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan
Download the full version of the Common Disability Agenda (Word Document)
Michigan Rehabilitation Association