One of the hardest parts of the work at the group I’m fortunate enough to lead — Disability Rights NC — is listening to the stories we hear every day. Stories of people desperate for help because of disability-based discrimination. Stories of abuse and neglect. Stories of North Carolinians who have been denied [Continue Reading...]

More than a decade ago, North Carolina’s system for providing services to individuals with mental health needs, developmental disabilities and addictive disease was deeply troubled. Allegations of fraud, mismanagement and conflicted governance signaled poor accountability mechanisms. In response, the General Assembly directed the state Auditor to investigate the situation. In April 2000, the [Continue Reading...]

Like many programs, mental health services absorbed big cuts in North Carolina’s recently passed budget. There was a new 2% rate cut to Medicaid providers. This was on top of a prior 9% cut for many providers. This would be bad under the best of circumstances. Unfortunately, lawmakers made things even worse by [Continue Reading...]

There’s a simple and harsh truth when it comes to serving people with disabilities: If you cut services that allow them to live in the most integrated setting, you will eventually force them into more institutionalized settings. This, in turn, will cost the state more money. It is well documented that services in [Continue Reading...]

Recently, the board of directors of North Carolina’s Community College System adopted a new policy that will allow individual colleges in the system to restrict admissions based on perception of a “threat” posed by any applicant. Despite objections raised by disability and civil rights advocacy groups, the Board voted to amend the system’s [Continue Reading...]

Disability is a natural part of the human experience. It does not discriminate. It crosses all income brackets, striking every age group at any time. The disability experience is open to people of all races, cultures and ethnicities. It accepts people with any religious belief, welcoming all points of view into its embrace. It does not differentiate based on gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. Disability is bi-partisan, pulling members of every political point of view into its chambers. [Continue Reading...]

A while ago, my friend fell and broke her hip and knee. What happened next was exactly what should happen in crisis. She was transported to a local emergency room and immediately treated. She received appropriate care until she was transferred to a rehabilitation center. Once there, she received treatment designed to help her regain her mobility and ultimately return home. And while there was a ton of paper work, there was never any question that she would get the necessary treatment. [Continue Reading...]

Imagine being angry all the time but not having the words to express it or the experience to understand it. Imagine being raped or beaten by an adult who is supposed to love and take care of you. Imagine being so traumatized by being the victim of violence – or watching it happen to another — that flashbacks are as commonplace as computer games. Imagine hearing voices in your head that tell you to do things that will get you in trouble at school. Imagine being so sad that you don’t want to live into adulthood. [Continue Reading...]

Few issues loom larger on the state public policy agenda than Medicaid – the critically important public health insurance program for low income children, seniors, and people with disabilities (as certified by a doctor). At last count, the number of people served by Medicaid was nearly 1.8 million and rising along with the unemployment rate. Medicaid’s budget is one of the largest in state government – second only to the overall budget for education. [Continue Reading...]

Nineteen years ago, on July 26, 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law. This landmark civil rights legislation removed many barriers to participation in community life for people with disabilities. Whether the barriers were driven by policy, architectural design, communication or attitudes, the ADA was (and is) intended to guarantee people with disabilities equal opportunity and protections to which all U.S. citizens are entitled. These are rights which citizens without disabilities already enjoy. [Continue Reading...]

As the relatively new director of a legal advocacy group for people with disabilities, I don’t pretend to be an expert in North Carolina politics. I’ve been told that could take years – especially when it comes to the development of the state budget. What I do understand is political process. And I understand the role of the organization I direct, Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC), in that process. [Continue Reading...]

One media exposé after another has highlighted the flawed implementation of North Carolina’s much ballyhooed 2001 effort at mental health reform. These exposés have given many state officials heartburn as they picked up their morning paper or watched the evening news. [Continue Reading...]

We have heard a lot about the plight of returning veterans with acquired disabilities – post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), loss of limbs, spinal cord injuries, etc. The Veteran Administration (VA) will, of course, provide everything these soldiers deserve and need to return to their pre-injury lives. [Continue Reading...]

A year ago, a new advocacy group for North Carolinians with disabilities was launched. Over the past 12 months, the staff of the new organization – Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) – has learned a lot. Not only did we learn mundane things like how to use the new database and fill out timesheets, we had to develop and then learn critical policies and protocols related to working with clients. In short, we had to become experts in the complexities of the systems designed to serve North Carolinians with disabilities. [Continue Reading...]

The recent series in the Raleigh News & Observer, “Mental Disorder: The Failure of Reform,” has deservedly received a lot of attention throughout North Carolina. By shining light on the North Carolina’s failed reform and privatization efforts the exposé has helped make it more likely that state policymakers will begin to give these issues at least some of the attention they deserve. [Continue Reading...]