The Connection

For those unable to attend the Fairfax Area Disability Service Board’s monthly meetings, June will be an opportunity to voice concerns in person to board members regarding community disability services. Tuesday, May 24 at Burke Centre Library, Matthew Barkley hosted the first of six upcoming community forums that serve as a platform for feedback and ideas about how to improve accessibility and inclusivity for disabled persons in Fairfax County.

Barkley, the director of Disability Services Planning and Development within the Adult and Aging division, began by stressing the importance of the forums.

“Your input on the issues we discuss today that affect our disabled community will become part of [the Fairfax Area Disability Service Board’s strategic planning initiatives moving forward for the next fiscal year,” he said.

The board serves as a resource and advocate for those with physical and sensory disabilities. Their website provides information on everything from education, housing, transportation and employment to healthcare, emergency management, financial and support services, and disability-related laws and legal resources. Barkley passed around handouts with additional resources for people with disabilities in Fairfax County and information on the specific services offered in Fairfax County.

The attendees comprised family members of disabled persons eager to share their stories and experiences, hopeful their feedback would help implement positive change.

Barkley facilitated discussion around three major questions: What programs and services work well; what barriers have been encountered in the community; and recommendations for improvement.

The group had high praise for specific organizations and individuals, universally acknowledging the godsend the right caseworker could be.

The parents cited one of the biggest barriers is navigating the various agencies at the county, state and federal level, none of which coordinate services or communicate with one another. The Americans with Disabilities Act is interpreted and implemented differently even from county to county, with no uniformity across the board.

Lastly, they suggested assigning a caseworker to a family rather than the disabled individual, implementing a training program for Fairfax County police officers in order to effectively deal with disabled persons, and tax breaks as an incentive for those who provide housing for disabled persons.

Interested in attending an upcoming forum? You can find the community forum schedule at the Fairfax Area Disability Service Board, http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/disabilities/fa-disability-services-board.htm.

Viewpoints

What do you see as the number one priority for people with disabilities in our area?

June Adelsberger, parent, Fairfax Station/Lorton:

“The need to be viewed, valued, and included as potentially contributing members of the community as opposed to a drain on resources and services - in the workplace, community service, and leisure activities.”

Peggy Hendrickson, homemaker, Oakton:

“I could see that the most important issue that came up from the meeting today was related to communication between the county, state, federal and even the school entities regarding assistance for the disabled. My personal concern was connected with housing for adult mentally ill persons when parents become disabled or die. Though the problem was not solved, perhaps some websites given may be a place to start. As for the meeting being a sounding board for parents with children with disabilities, it seems some answers were given. I think the series of meetings of this type can be helpful if the info from each meeting is projected to the next one. Then, developing a plan to conquer the extreme waiting for services that were expressed, could be by dividing the suggestions up for each group by need, and then addressed.”

Matthew Barkley, director of Disability Services Planning and Development, Fairfax

“Instead of relying on public benefits, we should focus on providing affordable, integrated and accessible housing, transportation and employment. Rather than send these people to institutionalized care or nursing homes, they should be given the opportunity to become part of the community. According to Fairfax County’s 2015 Human Services Issue Paper, it costs an average of $263,530 per year to institutionalize a person at a state training center, $314,772 in northern Virginia. But to provide those same services in the community through a waiver averages only $140,611. The problem is Virginia’s home and community-based services are ranked 49th out of all the states.”