Get Your Spurs On – New Challenges on the Disability Front this Year!

So much upheaval as the year gets under way.

First, the untimely death of Mat McCollough, the longtime head of our Office of Disability Rights and, above all, a stalwart of our local community.  To say he will be missed is such an understatement.  I have no word as yet about a memorial event but I know that planning is under way.

Second, planning continues in DDS to initiate a waitlist, with the startup now expected at the beginning of February.  Advocates and the DC council all question the necessity for a waitlist to be instituted at this stage, but DDS director Reese continues to underscore the necessity of doing so.  In the meantime, advocates continue to report that people are having supports discontinued abruptly, without people being notified in advance or given notice of their appeal rights.

Third, the waitlist and the cancellation of certain supports will certainly we foremost in the minds, and testimony, of advocates at the ODR and DDS performance review hearing before the DC council’s Facilities Committee on February 26 starting at 9:30.  I don’t yet find a signup page but will share that when I have it, since many voices will be needed at the table this year!

Fourth, I strongly encourage you to tune in a week from today – for the January 23 monthly DDS forum, where these and other topics will be on the agenda.

The new year has begun, and you have a lot to do to keep our local disability community moving in the right direction!