Parents Rally Against Plans To Institutionalize Young
Adults
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
November 27,
2006
LOWER SACKVILLE, NOVA SCOTIA--A crowd of about 50 people, most of
them parents of people with physical and mental disabilities, marched on the
Nova Scotia legislature last week, in response to an announcement that the
government would be spending $3 million to open a facility to house about two
dozen young people.
"They're not going to help 25 young adults like my daughter, and
particularly not my daughter," Wendy Bird told the CBC, adding that her
23-year-old daughter Terrin deserves to have a real home in the community like
other young adults her age.
"Institutionalization is not the route to go," Bird said.
Mary Rothman, executive director of the Nova Scotia Association for
Community Living, explained: "We already institutionalize more people than any
other province or territory except for Ontario, and they are closing their
institutions."
But Community Services Minister Judy Streatch said renovating the old
Cobequid Multi-Service Center is "an option in our continuum".
Jennifer Gallant, a mother of a 10-year-old boy with disabilities, said
of the plan: "I've had enough. My son has a wonderful life right now. He enjoys
his community, his friends, his family, and quite frankly he deserves nothing
less."
Related:
"Disabled kids deserve community homes: marchers"
(CBC)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/06/red/1127d.htm
---
Reproduced here under special arrangement
with Inclusion Daily Express international disability rights news service.
© Copyright 2006 Inonit
Publishing. Please do not reprint, publish or distribute without
permission. |
