Sessions allow disabled to advocate for their needs

BY MICHAEL ABRAMOWITZ
The Daily Reflector

Cerebral Palsy might have left Tommy Cloyd with some bad legs, but it never has stopped him from leaping over barriers to achieve a full and independent life. Cloyd, 44, was among a group of people with disabilities and their families who told government representatives this week that access to good medical care, meaningful jobs with fair and equal pay, strong cooperative relationships, decent housing, independence and self-pride are values and expectations they share with all other people. "My independence is very important to me," Cloyd said. "I'm from a generation before there was a lot offered to people with disabilities, so I've always been passionate about advocacy for myself and others."

Cloyd and others shared their goals and expectations at an input session conducted at Sheppard Memorial Library in Greenville by the N.C. Council on Developmental Disabilities, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. The disabled participants came to Greenville from throughout Pitt County and from as far as Lenoir, Hyde, Wayne and Dare counties to help the NCCDD prepare its next five-year plan to strengthen services, supports and communities where people with disabilities live.

The council defines "developmental disability" as a severe, chronic disability attributed to a mental/cognitive or physical impairment or combination of impairments diagnosed or obvious before the age of 22 and likely to continue indefinitely. Developmental disability limits the individual in three or more of the following areas: self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living and economic self-sufficiency. In North Carolina, developmental disabilities include traumatic brain iryuiy acquired before or after age 22. Disability conditions require a combination of special planned and coordinated services, individualized .supports and other forms of long-term assistance. Wednesday's participants gave the council's representatives what they came for to tailor programs and services to the region's dis-abled population.

"We're here to listen to eastern North Carolina people with disabilities and their families, gather infoimation about what issues are important to them "then act on what we learn," Executive Director of the NCCDD Chris Egan said. "The council represents the whole state, but we try to understand the circumstances, gaps and barriers of each area and community so we can see what we can do to help improve that the barriers could be in transportation, in schools or in emergency preparedness, so we rely on getting out and listening to people locally to learn their concerns."

Once aware of what matters most to people with disabilities, the focus switches to actions that can break down barriers, Egan said.

If a policy is enacted that is designed to help, the results are monitored, more feedback is gathered and further adjustments can be made to make sure the change achieves its aim, he said. "Sometimes, the input we get from people at these sessions validates what we think we know about an area's issues, but some issues can be a higher priority to people than we realized," Egan said. "We do know that employment is a high priority for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They want to earn an income and contribute to their families and communities, but 80 percent of them are unemployed. We have to determine what supports will have the desired impacts in the community and systemwide, where rules and policies are formed in the legislature and state government."

Cloyd, who has had cerebral palsy since childhood, uses forearm crutches but his disability does not prevent him from working, driving and living independently. He works as an independent living coordinator at Disability Advocates and Resource Center in Greenville. "I applaud the people of NCCDD for their involvement and efforts," Cloyc said. "Any time you can ge the government to recognizt a problem, there is always hope for a solution if people come together to figure it all out. That might be the most important part." Solutions in the form of service and support initiatives are achieved through distribution of $2 million in noncompetitive federalfy administered funds for projects and activities to a wide variety of grantees across North Carolina

The council's Project Search is an example of an employment initiative that targets workplaces for an apprenticeship approach to bring young adults into a reliable work setting, Egan said.

"There is a lot of traction being gained nationwide on this initiative, with many people becoming successfully employed," Egan said. "Initiatives like that emerge from input we get at sessions like this one today."

Listening sessions and survey opportunities will continue statewide through July 29. The information will be used to develop the draft goals and objectives for 2017 through 2021. The drafted goals and objectives will be distributed back to the participants for review and comment from December through January and the next 5-year plan will begin Oct. 1, 2016.

The original article appeared in The Daily Reflector on July 11, 2015.