RESOURCE GUIDE FOR SECURING INDEPENDENT HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

ACCORDING TO 1990 CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS, MORE THAN 3 MILLION PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES. CONGRESS ADVOCATES PUBLIC POLICY CHANGES THAT WILL ASSIST THESE INDIVIDUALS IN ACHIEVING AN ACCEPTABLE QUALITY OF LIFE. AS A RESULT OF FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATION HAS BEEN ENACTED THAT HAS MANDATED CHANGES THAT SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILLITIES. ONE STRONG ALTERNATIVE IS THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THIS GROUP CAN SUPPLEMENT THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT BY ADDRESSING SUPPORT AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN MINIMIZED WHEN SERVICING THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DIABLED INDIVIDUAL. ONE IMPORTANT AREA THAT HAS RECEIVED MINIMAL ATTENTION IS IN THE FIELD OF ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SECURE INDEPENDENT HOUSING, EITHER THROUGH HOME OWNERSHIP OR RENTAL CONTRACTS. MOST INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS TOPIC IS EITHER FRAGMENTED OR IN SUBCODE LANGUAGE NOT EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. WE WILL IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES THAT WILL INCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY OF INFORMATION RELATED TO SECURING INDEPENDENT HOUSING. PLANNED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE PC ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD SERVICE (EBBS) THAT WILL HAVE INFORMATION UPDATED ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS, A BROCHURE DESCRIBING THE GOVERNMENT FUNDED SUPPORT EFORTS AND A NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO FURTHER DISSEMINATE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE GUIDE AND THE FUNCTIONS OF THE EBBS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, PHASE II WILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE THEME OF INFORMING AND ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO PURSUE IF THEY DESIRE, INDEPENDENT HOUSING.