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Disabled and non-disabled Americans are waking up this historic morning, the first day of Barack Obama’s presidency. There are memories of when our last president took office and the hope that the campaign promises would be kept. Many are saddened at the state of our economy, our environment, and our security as he left office yesterday.
Though some are hopeful and excited that change has come, there are others who are fearful that it won’t. Obama may not be able to keep his campaign promises to the disabled community, group home staff, group home providers, family members of disabled citizens, and others who provide services for the disabled can become active, can unite, and make the changes Barack Obama promised for the disabled a reality. It really comes down to individuals in their own communities to make a difference.
Here are some of the promises that Obama made to the disabled citizens of our nation:
- Provide educational opportunities needed to succeed to disabled citizens
- End discrimination against our nations citizens with disabilities
- Promote equal opportunities for disabled citizens
- Increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities
- Support independent and community-based living for disabled citizens
As group home support staff you may have little impact on what happens in the White House, but you have tremendous impact on what happens in the group home that you work in. Look over the above list, is there a campaign promise that is close to your heart, like community-based living? Start looking into how you can start to make a real difference in the lives of the disabled in the group home that you work in and the lives of the disabled in your community.
Brainstorm with others that care about change, create a plan, and then take action. Include higher functioning disabled group home residents and physically disabled group home residents. Empower them to make changes for themselves. For the lower functioning group home residents, include them by bringing them along to meetings and events. Advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
We can sit back on this historic day and wait for our new president to make change or as group home support staff we can make history in our community by actively becoming involved in change that will make a difference for our group home residents.
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