Turning Disabled Citizens Into ‘Domestic Refugees’

Did you know that Dr. Arthur Schawlow, a California resident, co-inventor of the laser, and Nobel Prize Winner in Physics in 1981, spent all of his prize money to bail out the financially strapped group home where his 30-year-old son with autism resides? As if this were not enough, Dr. Schawlow was then forced to mortgage his home in order to hang on to his son’s community placement, which was still terribly underfunded and nearing closure!

As a parent of a son having autism (a severe developmental disability characterized by communication and behavioral deficits), I am outraged to find that this is not an isolated situation but rather exemplifies the frustration and concerns that thousands of Californians have, due to the lack of this state’s commitment to adequately provide and fund services so desperately needed by its population with severe developmental disabilities.

As a people, Californians have frequently been in the forefront of reform for fiscally responsible efforts on behalf of its residents. Why then are we making “domestic refugees” out of our developmentally disabled citizens?

It has been California’s philosophy throughout the past decade to advocate the movement of developmentally disabled persons from the state hospital settings into less restrictive community-based living arrangements. To be located near natural families, neighbors and friends, community homes have been developed and operated at a significantly lower cost to the taxpayers than state hospital placements.

However, because California’s funding base is so inadequate, the quality of residential treatment is often compromised and many programs have gone broke! Without the funding necessary to do a good job, dozens of programs are retreating from serving developmentally disabled persons.

Retreat--at what cost? Simply stated, at a cost of one’s dignity, at a cost of meeting one’s potential, at a cost of greater dependency and increased confinement, and at a taxpayer’s cost of two to three times as much money for state hospital care as compared to good community-based programs.

We need your help! Despite California’s own studies validating minimum underfunding levels of between 16% and 24%, the Department of Developmental Services, charged with responsibility for these children and adults and their programs, has refused to resolve this critical funding issue.

I urge my fellow Californians to join me in urging our governor and Legislature to sign into law AB 2633 introduced by Assemblyman Gerald Felando (R-San Pedro) and co-authored by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda) and Sens. John Seymour (R-Anaheim), Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) and Don McCorquodale (D-San Jose). Orange County Supervisor Harriet Wieder also supports this important legislation.

This bill simply provides the funds to partially close the funding gap, thus helping to enable quality homes to exist in the community to serve persons autistic and other developmentally disabled.

For many people who are severely disabled, there is very little quality to life at all. What they, and we, are asking for is a chance for some dignity. I pray that our readers find it in their hearts to understand, and to help.

SASHA STALLONE

Los Angeles