The Two Faces of Government Programs

by Dora Raymaker

Published April 05, 2009 @ 09:27AM PT

The National Council on Disability has just released its report National Disability Policy: A Progress Report. From NCD chairperson John R. Vaughn,

"The report focuses on the current quality of life of people with disabilities in America and the emerging trends that should be factored into both the design and evaluation of the Federal Government's disability policies and programs in the coming years. Strides have been made in access to transportation, education, communications, technology, and employment. Other factors important to quality of life, however, impede progress toward full citizenship, such as lack of affordable, accessible housing, difficulty breaking into the job market, poor access to health care, the institutional bias in Medicaid, access barriers to technology, and negative public attitudes about people with disabilities."

At 102 pages, it's going to take me a while to get through more than the executive summary (though I suspect taking the time to read through the whole thing will be worth it). One piece of the executive summary stuck out to me immediately though, probably because it's at the core of most of the serious difficulties I face right now in my own life.

In many instances, improvements in quality of life for people with disabilities can be attributed to government programs, particularly those involving intergovernmental partnerships as well as partnerships with the private and volunteer sectors. Examples from the livable communities' model demonstrate the potential for such partnerships to improve life for all citizens--people with disabilities and aging baby boomers, in particular.

Conversely, many of the intractable problems for people with disabilities can be attributed to government programs and policies. Research reveals program fragmentation, lack of coordination, government policies that conflict with one another, and counterproductive eligibility and benefits restrictions. Certain government policies actually have the effect of forcing people to live in institutions, prevent people from working, and impede achievement of the overarching goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.

In the past I've written about some issues besides funding to consider regarding government programs. Don't mistake my posting of policy-related items to this blog to mean I personally believe financial support of these items alone is key to a better future.

As the seven page, 17 item long "recommendations" section in the progress report's executive summary attests, there is a long, complex path ahead to figure out how U.S. government programs and policy can truly improve quality of life for disabled citizens.