I am proud to accept the 2007 Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award from the American Society for Public Administration.
I would like to thank the ASPA, Mr. Nordin, and the remarkable woman for whom this award is named for being a true inspiration to everyone who believes in social equity for all.
This award is especially meaningful to me because the concept of social equity has been the foundation of my 40-year career in the developmental disabilities field.
In speaking about social equity, the philosopher John Rawls said:
“Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive scheme of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar scheme of others.”
My mission, as the Chief Executive Officer of the YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network, has been to promote equal rights and equal opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The YAI/NIPD Network is an innovative, dynamic health and human services organization which provides comprehensive services to more than 20,000 individuals of all ages with intellectual disabilities and their families throughout the New York Metropolitan area, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico.
Our more than 450 programs go well beyond meeting the basic needs of our consumers. YAI services provide them with opportunities to grow and flourish; to live in dignified homes in the community, to receive job training and placement, and to have access to high quality health care and other supports that have promoted their community involvement and overall well-being.
YAI’s mission is to build brighter futures for people with intellectual disabilities by promoting social equity through opportunities to enjoy the same rights as all other members of society.
We believe that every person, at every age and level of ability, has the potential for growth and has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. it has been our role as a change agent to create a positive legislative agenda to provide new models of service delivery and funding, to utilize the courts to provide a judiciary agenda (e.g. right for treatment), creating social justice.
This year, we are celebrating YAI’s 50th anniversary. As we celebrate our successes in helping to make the world a better place for individuals with disabilities, we also reflect upon the social revolution that we have led to bring social equity to this population
When YAI was founded in 1957 as the Young Adult Institute, the conventional wisdom was to relegate individuals with intellectual disabilities to institutions such as the Willowbrook State School in New York. In these institutions across the country many people languished in unsanitary, dehumanizing conditions, deprived of the opportunity to experience love, dignity or hope.
In many ways, the civil rights movement of the 1960s provided the impetus for the recognition of the rights of people with developmental disabilities. Since then, YAI has promoted social equity for individuals with intellectual disabilities in several domains, with a focus on: Community Integration, Employment, Health Care, & Advocacy. And it all began with a dream.
look at these beautiful children…The right to be part of and contribute to one’s community is fundamental to the concept of social equity.
At YAI, this begins with our youngest consumers — the infants and toddlers who receive our early intervention and preschool services to give everyone an equal chance right from the start. It continues with the family support and training programs we offer to help parents nurture and keep their children at home, preventing out-of-home placement.
Throughout the 1970s, the struggle of YAI leaders and other social pioneers to close institutions and replace them with dignified, humane, community-based services constituted one of the most successful social movements of its kind.
YAI has consistently been at the forefront the field in establishing innovative programs that provide people with intellectual disabilities with access to comfortable, dignified homes and day opportunities to volunteer and participate in, and enjoy all realms of their communities.
In the 1980s, YAI was one of 10 Federal government models in developing supportive employment programs to provide people with disabilities access to greater financial independence, skills development, and opportunities to become valuable members of the workforce. Surveys indicate that only 31% of individuals with intellectual disabilities are employed, although many more are reliable, willing and able to work. we still have much work to do to help our consumers achieve the american dream of independence and employment.
Over the years, we have developed job training and placement programs to address the vast unemployment and underemployment of individuals with disabilities. we still have much to accomplish through systems change to find a job for each individual and to fulfill dreams one person at a time.
YAI has also created a Business Advisory Council, which consists of representatives of Fortune 500 and other companies that partner with YAI to not only create job opportunities, but to sensitize the business community regarding the abilities and talents of our consumers.
in order to grow and develop throughout the lifespan, people require access to quality health care. In 1997, we opened Premier HealthCare to bridge the tremendous gap between the often complex medical needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their access to quality care.
No longer are individuals with disabilities forced to suffer the indignity and discomfort of the emergency room for routine procedures and visits, or to receive inadequate medical attention from professionals who are insensitive to their unique needs.
Premier HealthCare provides comprehensive, coordinated primary and specialty health, pediatric, mental health and dental care, delivered by doctors and medical professionals who are specially trained to work with this population. In 2002, the U.S. Surgeon General cited Premier HealthCare for its cultural competency as a national model for the provision of health services.
Advocating for the needs and rights of individuals with intellectual disabilities has been a crucial component of our fight to bring social equity to this population. At YAI, advocacy takes on many forms.
in the area of training, yai has played a leadership role in professionalizing the disabilities field. We promote social equity for individuals with intellectual disabilities around the world by providing staff with training through workshops, seminars and videos. in a few weeks, YAI will host our 28th annual international conference.
Each year the conference draws expert presenters from all over the world, and over 3000 attendees who convene in this professional forum to exchange of ideas. Two of our most significant and far-reaching training initiatives were our award-winning television series productions. “On Our Own” and the Emmy-nominated “Children with Special Needs.”
in the area of Government: Throughout the year YAI consumers, staff and families advocate before federal, state and local government to educate legislators about the needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities and the importance of our programs. in the area of Media: YAI has also been diligent in pursuing media opportunities to share the stories of our consumers and staff and to educate the public about the needs, rights and skills of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Last April, the New York Times featured YAI’s socialization and relationship programs on its cover, and called YAI a “trailblazer” in creating innovative services. to raise public awareness We also created, with the pro bono help of advertising firm BBDO, Public Service Announcements which we’ll now see.
While we have made tremendous strides in establishing equality for people with developmental disabilities, our work is not finished. We are sadly aware that our dream of seeing a society which embraces and welcomes all individuals, regardless of their abilities and limitations, as equal citizens, has yet to be fully realized.
But we are carrying on the social revolution which I joined 40 years ago, and we are confident that with the partnership of government, corporate and individual supporters, consumers, families, staff and other stakeholders, we will prevail in ensuring that the YAI/NIPD Network remains a place of hope.
Perhaps the best way to illustrate the meaning of social equity in our field — and to me, personally — is by meeting some of the people whose lives we have transformed by providing them with opportunities to live, work, learn, grow and love in their communities.
as you watch this video, think back to the images you just saw of willowbrook and think of other institutions that you have known, and then think about how much the world has changed thanks not only to me, but to all of the individuals, including gloria hobson nordin, who have devoted their lives to fighting for social equity.
Thank you again for this tremendous honor.
