รายละเอียดกระทู้

by Nia Testamark, Morris News Service http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/22819932/article-Mothers-fight-for-disability-assistance?instance=home_news_lead_story Mothers fight for disability assistance ATLANTA -- The fight for disabilities is in full effect. Mothers, whose children are now adults suffering from mental retardation, are speaking out for more resources and assistance from legislators. Geneice McCoy, an Augusta resident, is just one of the many advocates that bring developmental-disabilities issues to the forefront to influence policies. She speaks to legislators for both the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and All About Developmental Disabilities, a private advocacy organization based in Atlanta. Her perseverance comes from her two autism-spectrum sons, who will be turning 27 and 25 years old in July. The council works to advance public policy on behalf of persons with mental retardation. Sixty percent of the council is made up of individuals who are mentally retarded and family members. “My continuous concern is that people with disabilities be afforded the same opportunities to be included in every aspect of life as everyone else,” McCoy said. McCoy was a parent advisor to the council in 2003 and 2005. In Nov. 2012, Gov. Nathan Deal appointed her as a parent advocate to the council. The AADD is for families dealing with developmental disabilities in children and adults. Last month, it started a campaign to support mothers of children with developmental disabilities called All About Moms. “We intend to run the campaign for a year, put together a speaker’s bureau and have a Mother’s Day luncheon for 2014,” said Keeley, director of All About Developmental Disabilities. “The campaign has been very successful this year.” AADD wants to bring awareness and generate assistance for the mothers who sometimes struggle to raise their child due to the lack of support from the government. AADD will educate people in surrounding communities on ways that they can serve as a helping hand to mothers. “There just isn’t any support. It seems like they want the perfect person with a disability issue,” said Rincon resident, Vicki Sumner, and AADD volunteer and the parent of a 25-year-old disabled child. On the organization’s website, aadd.org, there are tips for volunteers on how to reach out to a mom and how to include the child in activities. There is a discussion board with nanny services, physical activities and clinics for the children. There are also links to other organizations that are geared toward children with disabilities that mothers can reach out to on the website. “My children are older now, and it’s very challenging to find beneficial resources -- people who do not exclude people because of disabilities -- and doctors who are well versed in autism,” said McCoy. In addition to their campaign All About Moms, AADD continues to support the Unlock The Waiting Lists campaign. Advocates of AADD want Georgia to eliminate waiting lists for services such as continued support for recent high-school graduates, those aging out of foster care and employment assistance for thousands of people with disabilities. Read more : RN-T.com - Mothers fight for disability assistance