Advocates Ask Province To Drop IQ Cut-off Appeal
By Dave
Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
September 8, 2006
VANCOUVER,
BRITISH COLUMBIA--The B.C. Supreme Court recently ruled that the provincial
government cannot use I.Q. scores alone to decide whether an adult with a
developmental disability ought to receive support services.
The Ministry of Child and Family Services, which oversees such services,
is appealing that decision. The ministry has adopted a policy that says people
with I.Q. scores above 70 will lose services once they turn 19.
But critics -- including some community service providers, social
workers, parents, and family members -- call the ministry's policy
discriminatory and in violation of its own rules. They say that many factors
should be taken into account to decide whether a person needs services,
particularly for people who have disabilities, such as autism or fetal alcohol
syndrome.
According to Wednesday's Goldstream News Gazette, Maureen Karagianis, a
Member of the B.C. Legislative Assembly, said she is worried the government's
policy will leave many people with developmental disabilities at risk of
homelessness, criminal activity, and victimization.
"You realize that the IQ is in no way indicative of their capabilities
to look after themselves," she said.
"For the government to arbitrarily decide that anyone with an IQ of over
70 is now qualified for independent living is extremely cruel and shows how
little they care for the most vulnerable individuals."
Related:
Drop IQ policy, says
Karagianis (Goldstream News Gazette)
Fetal alcohol
syndrome court fight continues" (Quesnel Observer)
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Reproduced here under special arrangement
with Inclusion Daily Express international disability rights news service.
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