My Future

By Casey Stewart

Topics to Cover

The General Idea

Physical Description

Safety First

Services & Special Needs

Transportation In and Out

Freedom to live my life safely

Education & Recreation

Ideas to make this a reality

The General Idea !Do you live where you feel accepted?Contribute to your community?Have real friends, freedoms, relationships?Come and go when and where you want?Feel safe in your environment?Decide who you want to assist you?Select the activities & work you want?Do you decide who you want to live with?Have control over your life?

I want what you have !

Feel Accepted Contribute to Community

Have Friends & Relationships Select Activities & Work I want

The Physical Description Freedom to come & go from your

apartment and the development. Ability to contribute to my neighbors. Co-Ed buildings – Life is Co-Ed Graduated Living / Residence styles.

– Dorms - Apartments– Duplex - Married couple Section

My privacy, my own quiet place. Protection I cannot provide myself.

Dorms - Apartments – Duplexes Married Couple Section

Safety First !Screen residents and employees for criminal records. (I am vulnerable)

Security Alarm – Intercom in each apartment (I frequently need assistance.)

Someone to check I arrived to and from my destination safely.

A place to go when I am sick and cannot take care of myself.

Hurricane Protection and Plan.

Safety First Security – Medical

Services & Special Needs

The main meal at the end of the day. A place to go when I am sick and

need additional help during the day or night.

Help with my daily medications. Someone to be sure I come and go

safely and on schedule.

Open Cafeteria Dining and a Place to meet with Friends

A personal advocate to help me with my wants, desires and planning for:• Household chores. • Grocery and general shopping. • Scheduling my work and transportation.• Scheduling my activities and transportation. • Budget, Banking & Bills. • Paperwork & forms. • Go with me to Doctor Appointments • Follow up on all of these items to be sure

they are completed as planned. (A real checks and balance system)

Household ChoresBudgeting, Scheduling,

Coordinating

Transportation In and Out Getting around the community:

My bicycle My electric scooter My golf cart

Gateway to the outside: The Village Bus to take us to work, church,

the mall, movies, ball games, dances, bingo, car shows, bowling, drama club, cooking classes, a gym and everywhere else.

Transportation In and Out

Freedom to live my life safely• Freedom to have friends over to

my apartment to hang out!• A party to celebrate whatever.• To date that special girl. • To get married & live as a couple. • No curfews, I’m 27.

Dates, relationships andMarriage . . .

• Freedom to travel around the development at will.

• Voice my opinion at Property Management meetings.

• Freedom to participate with my church & outside activities.

• Freedom to have a best buddy.• Freedom to train and work at a job

of my choice.

A voice at our management meetingHave a Best BuddyHave meaningful employment

Education & Recreation

A book club with the Senior citizens that live in our community. Best Buddies with College Students who can facilitate trips & projects. Classes on dating, relationships, sexuality, and marriage. Classes on cooking and dancing. Couples counseling.

Book Clubs, Drama Class, Best Buddies and

Cooking Class (just a few)

Ideas to make this a Reality !

By mixing ALL Abilities and Seniors in one community we can help one another and grow.

We all have strengths and weakness.

We are all on a different learning curve.

We all need assistance of some kind.

We are more alike than you think !

We can help each other !

Let’s Review the Options . . .

InstitutionsServices –

No Choice of service

No Choice of provider Safety – They control

Socialization on site

No choice of individual outside activities

No outside friendships

No choice in living style

Society had an answer how to take care of people who had varying abilities.

The answer to the Institutions . . . Group Homes

Services –No Choice of servicesNo Choice of providers

Safety – The group home controlsSocialization on site is limited to the few residentsLimited choice of outside activities (not individualized)No outside friendships No choice in living style

Good for some and too restricted for others !

The answer to Group Homes . . .

Independent Living Full choice of service

Full choice of providers

Safety – On your own

Socialization –on your own

Activities – You decide

Outside friendships – you decide

Choice of Living Styles – Total independence

Lots of choice but they suffers from isolation. Security and safety have been overlooked with this option . . .

Determined to evolve we pursue yet a NEW and IMPROVED option . . .

The Planned CommunityChoice of Services Choice of Providers Safety – Provided Socialization – built in and can go out Activities – You decide Outside Friendships – You decideChoice of Living Styles-

Graduated Living StylesOpportunities for marriageOpportunities for community contribution

A Chance of a Lifetime . . .Written laws grant rights that cannot be easily reversed. This is your opportunity to demand the quality our DD citizens deserve. . All of the developments should be required to offer all living styles so people can progress to their highest ability of independence and help each other along the way. All developments should include residents with and without disabilities.

Seniors are perfect match. They have many of the same needs. They have the time & lots of knowledge to share. Their abilities & inabilities complement the abilities & inabilities of a person with DD.

Laws you help write . . . Rights you grant . . .

You can’t take back . . .

Landlord Services should provide: Screen Residents & Employees for criminal records Security Alarm / Intercom assistanceBuilding MaintenanceVillage Bus Transportation to the outside community Clinic – Day and Night services Hurricane Protection Cafeteria Style dining room – meals optional

Support Services

New Med Waiver Service, “The Advocate”. A service to coordinate and oversee implementation of individual services for person with DD.

All support services to be provided by outside independent providers to promote competitive quality service controlled by the individual and not the landlord.

This is our chance . . . . .

To come together . . .

To make a difference . . .

To Speak up for those who cannot . . .

To Advocate for a better Life . . .

A safe Life . . . .

A Full Life . . . .

Allow us to be ALL that we can be !