Last week the disability community learned
that it is the Polis administration's intent to not keep the disability policy
focused person after June, and to say we are disappointed is an understatement.
We believe strongly in "nothing about us, without us, ever”. Moreover, there are numerous public policy
issues that affect people with disabilities and our families. These issues intersect most state agencies
and deserve a coordinated thoughtful approach.
Caitlin Adams was hired during the last year of the Hickenlooper
administration and has helped the state address issues before they erupt into
litigation or escalate in the political arena.
Caitlin is currently working on several important initiatives described
below.
We have fantastic advocates for disability
issues in Lieutenant Governor Primavera and Elisabeth Arenales the
Governor's fantastic health policy lead, however disability issues are
intertwined through nearly every state agency so having someone dedicated to
our issues is critical.
For an administration committed to both equity
and data-driven decision making keeping this position should be an easy
sell.Our issues are complex, our community is impacted greatly by state
agencies, nearly half of state Medicaid spending is on people with disabilities
(including seniors with disabilities), we are incarcerated at a higher rate, we
are homeless at a higher rate, we are unemployed at a higher rate, and we need
someone in the Governor's Office focused on our issues as their sole job. After the 2018 election several
organizations representing people with intellectual and developmental
disabilities sent you a letter with several recommendations including an Office
of Disability. We agree that is the
direction the Governor's Office needs to move rather than eliminating the sole
representative we have focused on our issues now.
Caitlin Adams, the person currently in the
position spent time learning our community and our issues when she was
hired. She then worked with the
disability community and state agencies to compile a follow-up report to the
Community Living Advisory Group report and the Colorado Community Living Plan
(the state's Olmstead plan). This had
laid dormant before her intervention.
Caitlin's title of "Community Living Coordinator" undersells
the work she does, "State Disability Policy Coordinator" would be
more accurate. She has intervened on
numerous occasions where had we not had her help we would have had to go to
legislators or agency directors to solve problems, but she helped to resolve
the problems at a lower level. She has
facilitated positive, productive meetings with three cabinet members to date
with more in the works. She helped
connect us to the new director of Boards and Commissions. While many other interest groups have paid
lobbyists making these meetings happen, our community does not. We do have many amazing citizen advocates
eager to assist but this assistance has to be done respectfully and in a
coordinated fashion. She is also in the process of helping create a system so
that events held by state actors or on state property do not violate disability
rights laws.
Approximately 10% of Colorado residents have a
disability. One in five people
experiences disability in their lifetime.
Disability directly affects a quarter of the population (family members,
jobs, etc.,) and a significant amount of state resources are spent on
disability programs. We have
demonstrated that when our community is involved in policy decisions, public
policy outcomes are more effective and cost less. When we are left out, the state is left open
for litigation, excess spending, and poor outcomes. Someone needs to be in the Governor’s office
coordinating all of this work. The
organizations noted are strongly opposed to removing this position. Likely the list of opposed organizations will
grow, we just found out about this and have a short timeline to respond.
Sincerely
Dawn Russell, ADAPT
Candie Burnham, Atlantis Community
Christiano Sosa, Arc of Colorado
Linda Skaflen, Arc of Adams
Darla Stuart, The Arc of Aurora
Gavin Attwood, Brain Injury Alliance of
Colorado
Julie Reiskin, Colorado Cross-Disability
Coalition
Hope Hyatt Colorado Mental Wellness Network
????? Global Down Syndrome
———————
PLEASE INDICATE
Martha Mason, SW Center for Independence
Patricia Yeager, Colorado Springs Independence
Center
Maria Stepayan Center for People with
DIsabilities
Lisa Franklin, Parent to Parent of Colorado
Ian Engle, Northwest Colorado Center for
Independence
Joan LaBella Disabled Resource Services
David Henninger, Bayaud Enterprises
Ryan Zeiger/David Bolin CLASP
Emma Hudson, Alliance
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