CEREBRAL PALSY NEWS
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"Latest UCP Report Ranks State Support for Disabled Americans"
May 9, 2007
A second annual report rating state care of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities was released on May 2nd by United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). The report, entitled The Case for Inclusion 2007, ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia according to their provision of community-based support for people with disabilities who are served by Medicaid.
The Rankings
The study's author, Tarren Bradon, explained that "This report provides families and advocates a tool to compare how their state is performing in relation to the rest of the country."
Roughly 100 data elements were considered along with input from a large group of national disability experts to create the comprehensive rankings. The states providing the best and most support to its disabled residents include:
(1) Arizona
(2) Alaska
(3) Vermont
(4) Massachusetts
(5) California
The states with the poorest performance include (51) Mississippi, (50) Texas, (49) District of Columbia, (48) Ohio, and (47) Illinois.
Bradon noted, “Despite much improvement over the last couple of decades, the report makes it clear that inclusion is not the reality for all Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities."
More Support Is Needed
The report revealed that 16 of the states have very long and large waiting lists for services. In addition, only one out of every four Americans with a disability participates in competitive employment.
However, as UCP President and CEO Stephen Bennett said following the report, "Every American wants the opportunity to live and work in their community...The top-performing states in our rankings do a better job promoting independence and productivity in safe, quality community settings, but we still have far too many people with disabilities not getting the service and support they desperately want and need. We can and should do better."
Medicaid serves nearly 545,000 Americans with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and although such individuals make up only about one percent of all Medicaid recipients, the services provided to them comprise 9.4 percent of all agency expenditures.
(Source: UCP website)
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