— Adina Zahradnikova |
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Imagine the year is 2033 and over the past five decades Disability Law Center (DLC), together with our community partners, has successfully improved attitudes toward disability in our communities and fulfilled the mandate that public systems support the true integration of people with disabilities. These days, community living is a reality. Utahns with disabilities live in their own integrated, affordable, and accessible homes and apartments. Children and adults are no longer needlessly institutionalized and remain with their families or in their own homes with support. Education for children with disabilities living in Utah is free, appropriate, and accessible. Students are no longer segregated, isolated, or pushed into alternative schools and the juvenile justice system for conduct relating to their disability. In fact, these students thrive because their teachers and administrators are given adequate training and resources to help these students learn. Assistive technology devices have dramatically increased the capabilities of Utahns with disabilities, helping them achieve their full potential. Utahns with disabilities are employed regularly, working alongside and earning the same wages as their non-disabled peers. Imagine that in these days, our community has become a place where every Utahn can live and work without fear of being discriminated against, bullied in school, denied access to basic programs, or become victims of abuse and neglect. Imagine that Utahns with disabilities finally have the opportunity to live with the same rights as those without disabilities. |
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