We The People
The Alabama Department of Mental Health and the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities want you to know about how to expand the freedom of people with disabilities in everyday life.
We The People highlights the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule. The rule requires each state to ensure that services offered to people with disabilities maximize the control and choice they have in employment, recreation, living arrangements, and transportation.
We are declaring our independence as people with developmental disabilities.
We are one people yet varied in our abilities and unique in our goals. We will be welcomed, valued participants in every aspect of life. We deserve the freedom for our voice to be heard and our choices to be respected.
We are speaking up for protections of safety and civil liberties. Access to better education, employment, healthcare, housing, transportation, and other life sustaining advantages should be available to all.
Recognize our advancement and expect achievement. We won’t do this alone. We will do it together. Like anybody else, we welcome support when we need it and encouragement when we don’t.
We The People are a part of the fabric of society with great potential.
The new Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Rule empowers people with developmental disabilities to:
Enrich the community as valued individuals
Live with more independence
Be free from abuse and neglect
Form friendships and relationships
Achieve personal, freely-chosen goals
Enjoy the freedom to come and go, eat meals, and see friends at any time
Take risks that foster growth and confidence
Access employment opportunities
Exercise the rights and personal liberties we all share
Let’s focus on each person’s abilities.
We all deserve the chance to contribute, to give something back. Employers can access programs to make the most of individuals’ unique skills. At the same time, most in our community don’t need any kind of special training. We only ask for understanding. We’re all just people, not cases to be managed. With the help of the new Medicaid HCBS Rule, we can all benefit from the advantages of inclusion.
Resources
It’s important to spread the word about the benefits of the Medicaid HCBS Settings Rule to people with developmental disabilities, their family members, potential employers, and neighbors in the community. The resources provided here will help.
Informational Brochure
Posters
FAQ Sheet for Providers
FAQ Sheet for Individuals and Families
HCBS Information from
