The National Down Syndrome Congress has developed the following principles to reflect our legislative agenda, which is consistent with the values held by our organization.
Expand Opportunities for Individuals with Down Syndrome to Live and Work in Their Community with the Necessary Support Services
- Promote policies that offer all individuals with Down syndrome opportunities for community living, recreation and employment with the appropriate support services.
- Promote laws that provide for adequate public funding of community services.
- Support legislation that improves the working conditions for support workers.
- Promote person-centered planning through partnerships among the individual, family members, friends, professionals and others involved in the individual’s life.
- Promote living arrangements that empower individuals with Down syndrome and their families to have maximum choice and control in planning their lives.
- Encourage policies that provide incentives to work and remove disincentives (potential loss of benefits) that enable individuals to work and save without losing benefits from publicly financed programs.
- Promote policies that give parents opportunities to do long term planning for their children.
Improve Educational Opportunities for Children with Down Syndrome
- Promote inclusive, state-of-the-art educational programs for children with disabilities from birth through exit from IDEA services
- Promote further placement of students with Down syndrome in inclusive educational settings consistent with the percentage of individuals with disabilities in the general population.
- Promote access and opportunities to ensure that parents have high-quality information about state-of-the-art educational practices
- Promote laws and regulations that make access to due process procedures meaningful.
- Ensure that students participate in the same curriculum as students without disabilities and measure progress with appropriate and objective measures.
- Promote strategies that improve the school environment for all children through school-wide positive behavior approaches.
- Promote policies that ban use of restraint, seclusion and aversive practices in schools.
Draft a “No Restraint Letter” to include in your child’s IEP.
While we are continually researching and monitoring all areas of relevant Congressional and Administration action, our primary focus is determined by issues and laws that are being developed and/or changed that affect the Down syndrome community.
View our full list of Legislative Priorities below.
- Background
- The National Down Syndrome Congress has an active voice in Washington, D.C., to ensure rights of individuals with Down syndrome are protected and opportunities are made available. We focus on services and support that touch every aspect of an individual’s life: infant and toddler services, preschool, education, employment, community living, and health.
Federal laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Medicaid, and the Workforce Investment Act are federally funded. These are the sources of funding for virtually all disability services. Consequently, the challenges faced by individuals are impacted greatly by current federal and state funding deficits. We need to address the issues related not only to availability but to quality services and protection of rights.
NDSC’s governmental affairs activity is determined by priorities established by the organization and, to a large extent, current U.S. Congressional activity. While we continually research and monitor all areas of relevant Congressional and Administration action, our primary focus is determined by issues and laws that are being developed and/or changed. This summary focuses on NDSC legislative priorities and activities.
- Medicaid
- Updated priorities coming soon
- Education
- Updated content coming soon
- Employment
- Updated content coming soon
- Asset Development
- Updated content coming soon
- Research
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Updated content coming soon