Open Forum by RI Gov. Commission on Disabilities for public with disabilities & families

OPEN FORUMS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The Rhode Island Governor’s Commission on Disabilities will be hosting an open forum for all people with disabilities and their families on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, from 4-6 PM, via ZOOM.

People are invited to join the meeting and express their concerns via: Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82734585008, meeting ID: 827 3458 5008; One tap mobile +16465588656,82734585008#; or call in 888 788 0099 US Toll-free.

The forum is an opportunity for ALL people with disabilities and their families to speak out and voice their concerns, tell us what is working, what needs to be fixed, or needs not being addressed. 

Sign language interpreters and real-time captioning will be used and a transcript will be compiled of the testimony. Requests for other language interpreting should be made to 462-0100 by noon Monday October 24^th.

Comments may be made in person during the forums or can be faxed (462-0106) or e-mailed to [email protected], or mailed by October 31st to Governor’s Commission on Disabilities, John O’ Pastore Center 2 Cherry Dale Court, Cranston, RI 02920-3049. For more information or request accommodation call; 462-0100 or via 711(tty/ttd).

Outcomes from the Past Public Forums

• Establishing a Medicaid Managed Care option for adults with disabilities, which will assist families in navigating through the chronic health care systems;
• Providing a cost-of-living adjustment for (Medicaid) personal care attendants
• Establishing a crisis intervention service for adults with severe impairments who have been abused or assaulted by a care giver;
• Allowing accessory family dwelling unit in a single -family residence as a reasonable accommodation for family-members with disabilities in any residential area;
• Funding through the Neighborhood Opportunities Program to create more affordable and accessible housing;
• Establishing a Medicaid Buy-In Program for persons with disabilities who are eligible for Medicaid allowing them to return to work while retaining Medicaid coverage;
• Requiring the installation of curb cuts and/or ramps at both ends of any pedestrian crosswalk;
• Providing a community living option to all persons who have a disability and are sixty-five (65) years of age or younger in order to allow those individuals the choice to live in a less restrictive community-based environment or their own home environment;
• Creating a funding mechanism for “NewsLine” providing telephone access to the text of newspapers to residents, who are blind, visually impaired, or reading impaired and increasing funding of the Adaptive Telephone Loan Program;
• Authorizing the Secretary of State to utilize “state-of-the-art” voting technology to expand special ballot services to a wide range of voters with disabilities;
• Requiring zoning ordinances to provide standards and requirements for the review and approval of drive-through windows (of any type), including taking into account pedestrian safety and access for people with disabilities; and
• Banning pre-existing condition exclusions to health insurance coverage under an individual policy, group health plans.