I live in Wayne County and currently work out of CDR’s Monroe County office to provide services to individuals with disabilities and their families in Ontario, Wayne and Yates counties. Unfortunately, without state Independent Living funding many needs are unmet. We need to change that, and we need the New York State legislature to help.I am personally aware of the ongoing need of individuals with disabilities for housing, employment, health care services, finance and benefits management, transportation, and community based services. Education on resources and the needed supports to access them are often not available to individuals with disabilities in Wayne, Ontario and Yates counties.

This is often a population of meager means, fixed income and resources and they are forced into uncomfortable and worrisome situations. Families struggle to answer the question, “do we eat or pay our bills?” And the worry how they will ever be able to meet specific needs related to disabilities. They feel estranged from their very own communities; and services that are there to serve them just seem to be out of their reach – mentally, physically and financially.
An Independent Living Center that is community based and staffed by peers, people to work with you who have been there and done that, is just what they need.
I know the frustration of being an individual with a disability; as well as a parent of a child with a disability, and being at wits end – not knowing who to contact or how to get them to respond to me. I, as well as many others, needed to have a local community based agency to provide support to access to what is available for me.

The current lack of services could be solved if the New York State Assembly to pass bill A.10440 and the New York State Senate to pass Bill S.7264 to establish an independent living center in the county of Ontario. To contact your Senator and Assembly member, use this link:
http://capwiz.com/rochestercdr/issues/alert/?alertid=11398071&type=ST&show_alert=1

This would also support the recommendation by the Board of Regents to fund CDR to provide IL services through an Independent Living Center to cover Ontario, Wayne and Yates counties.

This would make available to the individuals in need; services that would enable them to be independent in their lives, to go to school, work, be financially stable, have their health needs met, and ultimately be able to give back to the community. CDR as a state funded ILC would provide core services of: Information and Referral, Independent Living Skills Training, Peer support services, Individuals and Systems Advocacy, assistance avoiding or leaving unwanted nursing home placemen and many other programs and services.

Independent Living Centers are one of the few agencies that can assist persons whose lives have been influenced by a disability; through every step of their life from birth to death. An Independent Living Center would be there to provide support and services to returning veterans, children with disabilities and their families, schools, the ageing population, newly disabled and most importantly the many individuals who unfortunately fall through the cracks.

According to the 2000 census report:

• Ontario County has a total population of 101,340 of which 14% – 14,532 reported having a disability and 13,813 were over the age of 65.
• Wayne County has a population of 91,951 of which 15 % – 12,474 reported having a disability and 11,010 were over age 65.
• Yates County has a population of 24,621 with 20 % – 4,406 reported having a disability and 3,817 were over the age of 65.
• The total population of the three counties is 217,912 with 56,092 either reporting having a disability or being over age 65.

It is a fact of life that disability and aging touch every one of us; personally, our families and most certainly in our communities. An Independent Living Center in Ontario County would be based in their community – accessible and ready to provide services.
Independent Living Centers have been providing services to individuals with disabilities in their own communities since the 1960s. The results have been nothing but positive, sometimes miraculous, for all involved.
It is more than time for residents of Ontario, Wayne, and Yates County to have the same opportunity.