Let's face it... if it were anytime between the 50s to 70s and even early 80s, and you had a child born with a developmental or physical disability... delay in speech... deafness...blindness.. and any other "untrainable" or abnormal trait... your doctor told you to put them into what is referred to as a "developmental center".... what most people know as institutions...and you, as a good parent, listened. I could not even fit into this one tiny note the horrors that went on behind the walls of many of these centers... and the parents had no idea. To the most severe- not being notified of deaths, to the seemingly incidental- not being taught. From day one, institutions have been understaffed. I get it, really I do. I know what its like to be in a situation where you need to protect yourself because you're outnumbered, outweighed, etc. But the point of the matter is that it is now 2011, and we need to get with the times.
I myself have seen a developmental center first hand. I must say, it was not as bad I prepared myself for it to be... but it didn't make me any less passionate about closing it as soon as humanly possible. I've had the great joy of working with a vast majority of clients who lived in developmental centers- some from birth. Those who are blessed with the ability to speak, and the unfortunate memory span of what went on, will tell you without any reservations what they saw and experienced. But, the worst part of the story are those individuals without a voice. Its the individuals who are so severely disabled, that they never knew anything but where they lived, and what they experienced everyday. Some of the statements you see on the news are correct- these people don't know how to live in a home, because they never had that privilege. The fact of the matter is, they are people, too.
Many people who live in the institutions in New Jersey are at a high enough developmental level that they can hold gainful employment. This fact shocks many people. A good majority of individuals never had any real reason to even be in an institute in the first place. Even individuals who are deaf or blind or both can hold jobs within sheltered workshops, where they make friends with co-workers, benefit from routine, and get to give back to their community through volunteering, or working piece jobs contracted out by local companies (that many typical people would not want). Individuals with autism, and even behavior problems can be taught positive behaviors, communication skills, and give back to their community in many ways- and the best part is, they want to!
Closing these supposed "developmental centers" gives THOUSANDS of individuals a chance at a new life....at having a place to call home, in a neighborhood....to be loved by staff who care about them rather then just their paycheck... to get to grow and learn... to make contributions to their communities... and to the lives of those who have the HONOR of working with them. Closing these institutions not only grows community, it helps close the gaps of ignorance for people with differences... and guess what... it CREATES JOBS! As agencies like the ones I work for grow, they automatically need more employees... not just group home staff, but therapists, drivers, secretaries, accountants- you name it! And on top of that, as mentioned, many of these individuals can hold jobs of their own.
Closing all institutions in New Jersey is something that MUST continue... in an effective and positive way, we can make HUGE differences in countless people's lives.
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