I have a Big Question, and I hope someone can answer it. I've asked this question to some heavy-hitters in the disability arena, and they don't have The Answer.

Here's The Question: If all of our Federal disability-related laws—the Rehab Act of 1973, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—along with the Olmstead Supreme Court decision implicitly and/or explicitly prohibit discrimination of people with disabilities and mandate integration/inclusion, why do the vast majority of Federally-funded programs and services (SSI, Medicaid, special ed funding, and more) result in the segregation of children and adults with disabilities?

I don't get it; do you? Is the answer as simple (and outrageous) as the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing? Is it because special interest groups (for employees of nursing homes, congregate living facilities, day programs, public schools, etc.) are so powerful that they call the shots and segregated settings serve their needs? If you've got the answer—or even an idea—write to me. I'll add the most commonsense and/or realistic ideas to this page. Maybe we can figure it out together.

From Kimberly (parent and activist):
There seems to be several laws in place to protect and help individuals with disabilities. Yet the people who  make the laws really don't have any idea of the work that goes into getting a person with a disability on a positive path for growth and development. There doesn't seem to be any "checks and balances" of programs to make improvments. Some lawmakers might not even know people with disabilities. It also seems easier to pass a law than it is to get SSI or Medicaid. People who happen to have disabilities were conceived and born just like people without disabilities. Prejudice against people with disabilities represents another form of racism. We are all people first!

From Mike Murphy:
I think it’s really simple—anyone who legislates an act to ban discrimination against a certain group—call it Group X—and anyone who legislates an act to segregate Group X—must both agree to the basic premise that there IS a Group X who first should be classified as different from the rest of the population. So in this case, Group X is people with disabilities. And regardless of which side you refer to—those who want to be inclusive or those who want to be exclusive—both must agree that people with disabilities are "different." If this were not the case, if people with disabilities were not viewed as "different," then all this legislation would be null and void, and this conversation would be moot.

From Walt Glomb:
Read John McKnight's new book, The Abundant Community. He argues, among other things, that the segregation of individuals who have disabilities is a legacy of society's aggregation of individuals' needs to achieve industrial economies of scale for "treatment." The solution is to build competent local communities with the natural capacity to welcome all individuals as they are. (Disclaimer: This interpretation is mine and I apologize to John McKnight if I have it wrong.)

In addition, there's the constant feed of low and negative expectations that families receive throughout the lifetimes of individuals who have disabilities. Where I live, the genetic counselors at a major teaching hospital still tell parents that their new baby (fetus or embryo) with Down syndrome will never be able to care for himself/herself, and will always be a burden. And if the parents are "lucky enough" to receive an early diagnosis, they'll be able to terminate the baby's life. Then there are educators, therapists, and others who continue—even today—to discourage any ambitions for children with Down syndrome. Hence, when the time comes, at age 15, to write a transition plan into the IEP, the schools often recommend "placement in an adult day program." The die is cast.

From Andrea Dahl:
We live in a nation that has taken too many years to learn that segregation is wrong. For many years people with disabilities were isolated from society. It usually started with Special Ed in school, then went to special schools for people with disabilities, then on to institutions. Today, many who do not have a disability are realizing how ignorant they have become because of our societal errors. Many are seeing the importance of knowing a person who has a disability. They are seeing that people with disabilities have many skills, and have knowledge that many could not find otherwise. Our government is slowing catching on to the fact that people with disabilities are valuable asset in the community.

From Janet Politano, parent of a child with a disability:
It seems that private programs are able to apply funds in a more direct way. They're focused on services for people with disabilities only. Why public programs cannot provide the same funding directly to the education and promotion of growth of  people with disabilities that they pay out for private companies to provide, will always be a mystery to me.

From Brenda Johnson:
People with disabilties are segregated at every opportunity, and the real disgrace is the state regulatory system writing it into their regulations, telling people where they can or cannot receive their services, etc. I do not know or understand how they can go against the ADA—segregating people because of disability. Services are—supposedly—individualized, but really they're not when someone else is telling you where you can or cannot go for those services. Maybe it is specialized organizations that have some control and say so, but I really believe it is systemic and the system believes they know best about what people need. That is so not true. The people who know them best try to support them in the best way possible—what the individuals have expressed they want, but because someone higher up wants the control, it doesn't matter what the person wants. It is sad.

From Dianne Huggon, parent of a child with a disability:
In my city, I believe that authoritative opinion, local politics and union contracts combined is a huge barrier to making inclusive education a success. Shake up this combination by removing those individuals with authority who lack respect for any human being, and I believe this positive change will cause a ripple effect leading to even greater changes that will give all students more opportunity to succeed. Considering it's been 35 years since the first special education law passed, ignorance is no longer an excuse. Prior to 1975, public schools educated 1 out of 5 children with disabilities. Today, more than 6 million children with disabilities in this country receive special education services. Services or education? Big difference!

From Megan McFadden, a college student:
I think the reason why there are segregated environments despite the law is that special interests groups do have some sort of power and they're in it for the money. I think they get around by saying they can help a child or an adult with disabilities—prepare them for the "real thing"—however, that doesn't happen because of all the requirements they have for people with disabilities. And if people with disabilities mess up even once—no matter how small—they pretty much have to start over or stay where they are at, so more services are offered. I think the reason why they keep getting federal funds is (1) no one is checking to see if these programs are really helping anyone and (2) the general belief of society that people with disabilities are incompetent, are "more comfortable and safer" around others "like themselves," and they're "uncomfortable" around those without disabilities. So, until these things are changed, the federal funding of segregated places will continue.

©2012Kathie Snow, www.disabilityisnatural.com