Summary
The Arc Minnesota believes people with disabilities must have informed choice among a wide range of inclusive daytime opportunities. Daytime opportunities should support each person’s meaningful engagement in their communities. Options for daytime activities should be based on each person’s:
- Strengths
- Talents
- Interests
- Culture
- Values
All stakeholders must be involved in efforts to create new, inclusive ways to support people during the day. Choices have been limited to day training and habilitation and center-based programs. This is not true informed choice.
Many of these programs isolate and segregate people. They do not have the chance to build meaningful relationships with people outside the program. These programs do not give opportunities based on individual strengths, interests, and talents.
As we work together to co-create new daytime opportunities, people who have disabilities and those with lived experience must be centered in these discussions.
Issue
There are few real choices for daytime services and supports for people who have disabilities. Choices have been limited to day training and habilitation and center-based programs. This is not true informed choice.
Many of these programs are not inclusive, because they isolate and segregate people with disabilities. They do not fulfill the promises of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They do not give opportunities based on individual strengths, interests, and talents.
People with disabilities do not have the chance to build meaningful relationships and engage with people outside the program.
The federal Home and Community Based Services Rule was released in 2017. The goal was to make daytime opportunities more inclusive. The rule required state Departments of Human Services and service providers to address daytime services that are:
- isolating and need to be changed, or
- presumed to have qualities of an institution and might need to be changed
The rule also includes definitions for settings that are based in the community and do not need to be changed.
Advocates were hopeful this rule would lead to changes in many daytime programs, but not much has changed since it went into effect. Most programs have stayed the same. Many worked around the rule because they are technically located in community-based settings.
Federal rules do not go far enough to make sure daytime services and supports are truly inclusive.
Minnesota state laws and policies promote informed choice in services and supports, but they do not go far enough either. Daytime programs should help people with disabilities build meaningful relationships and true inclusion.
Position
All individuals with disabilities – no matter their disability type and support needs – deserve the opportunity to explore, find, and keep jobs and careers that provide personal fulfillment and help build wealth. People with IDD should have supports from individuals and systems to help them to find and keep jobs based on their preferences, interests, and strengths.
The Arc Minnesota also believes that people with disabilities must have informed choice among a wide range of inclusive daytime opportunities. Each person should be supported in ways that help build belonging in their communities.
At a minimum, options for daytime activities should be based on each person’s:
- Strengths
- Talents
- Interests
- Culture
- Values
If the individual has a person-centered plan, their preferences for daytime activities should be reflected in the plan.
Service providers and state agencies must make sure people know about and have the opportunity to explore all options. They must create options beyond the traditional day training and habilitation and center-based programs that have been offered.
All stakeholders must be involved in efforts to create new, inclusive ways to support people during the day. People who have disabilities and those with lived experience must be centered in these discussions.
Options must not be restricted by subjective constraints like funding, without considering what is important to and for the person.
Approved by The Arc Minnesota Public Policy Committee on November 29, 2021.
Approved by The Arc Minnesota Position Statements Task Force – August 17, 2015.
Approved by The Arc Minnesota Public Policy Committee – August 19, 2015.
Approved by The Arc Minnesota Board of Directors – September 12, 2015.
Approved by Delegates at The Arc Minnesota Annual Meeting – October 23, 2015.