Viewpoint: The New Year of Change and Celebration

From the GCDD family to yours, we wish you a very happy new year! We hope that 2015 will be a great year for all of us in the disability community. This year could be the time when Georgia finally takes its place as a leader in meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families. I know what you are thinking. We already have had enough change and still things have not gotten better. It seems like every year we are bombarded with changes in waivers, staff and direction. Will the services we currently have be here next year or will we have to search for what we need?

This edition of Making a Difference will examine several of those changes coming. We start with the inauguration of Governor Nathan Deal's second term and the 2015 legislative session. We hope to share with you legislative support around the waiting list; ensuring that employment becomes a first option, especially for children leaving high school; the ability of students who are enrolling in inclusive post-secondary education programs to access the HOPE scholarship; and discussions about ensuring that when those students graduate, they receive a diploma allowing them to access their next step in life. We also hope to see in the next year the closure of state institutions and ending the practice of sending children to live in nursing homes.

Much of the change happening is driven by policies and rules established in Washington, DC through the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Many of you attended town hall meetings convened by the Georgia Department of Community Health to discuss changes in all Medicaid Waivers. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have established new rules that define home and community-based services. For some, this has been happily anticipated for many years, but for others there is concern about whether services such as day supports will be considered a home and community-based service. Much of the preliminary work on changes to the NOW, COMP, ICWP and CCSP will happen this year, but implementation will probably not happen until next year.

Finally, this is the 25th anniversary of passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We will be reporting on this right up until the national celebration in July. It will be part of the theme for the 17th annual Disability Day at the Capitol, which will be held on March 5 at the new Liberty Plaza across the street from the Gold Dome. I hope that all of you attend.

Remember that GCDD is here to assist you. Check out our website and join our advocacy network so that you can stay informed. We hope you enjoy reading this magazine and we want to hear from you. Let us know your thoughts and comments about the magazine by writing to Valerie Suber at .

Eric E. Jacobson
Executive Director, GCDD

Tags: GCDD, viewpoint