Letter to the Membership

Abstract

For more than 2 decades, it has been my honor and privilege to serve as your executive director. Thank you for giving me the opportunity of working with you in support of a better quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States and throughout the world. When I signed on as an AAMD [American Association on Mental Deficiency; now AAIDD] student member more than 40 years ago, I never realized that I was making a lifetime commitment to the association. At that time, a new era of community services was emerging for people with intellectual disabilities and, like many of you, I was among the early special education pioneers. I was driven to special education and then on to rehabilitation studies because my younger brother, John, was born with multiple disabilities and there were no educational programs or community services to help support John or our family. Like many parents of that era, my mom and dad were unwilling to place John in an institution and his future became a family affair. In fact, my parents joined with a small group of other parents to organize an educational program in the basement of a local church. The church basement was John’s first ‘‘school,’’ and it was one of the very few times that he went to school in our hometown. Of course, the whole family ‘‘volunteered’’ in many educational and community activities. Like most young people with significant disabilities in the 1960s, John spent his school years traveling around in the yellow bus to attend classes in out-of-theway places. Even today, because the area remains fairly rural, John continues to travel far and wide for needed programs and services. He also now lives in a group home that is more than 30 miles from the community where he was an integral member for more than 45 years. And, sadly, at 58 years old, John faces the additional challenges of dementia. I have mentioned this personal story because over the decades I have been profoundly influenced by all the challenges that my brother John has faced in trying to live an ordinary life that included work, family, friends, fun, and community connections. Many of his experiences have served as a lens through which I have examined our work here at AAIDD. In stepping back to consider these last 2 decades, I can say with some measure of satisfaction that we have done some very good work and we have made some major contributions to a better quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities. We have done our part in advancing human rights and personal dignity both nationally and internationally. We have increased opportunities for people with disabilities by leading the movement for personal supports through our Supports Intensity Scale. We changed our name and the disability terminology in response to cultural changes and evolving demands of our era. We have improved service access and eligibility through our definition and classification work. We have contributed to individual longevity by advocating for health and wellness to include supporting those who are aging or facing the end of life. We have been pioneers in connecting the impact of our environment on the cause and effect of developmental disabilities. We were leaders in establishing the Alliance for Full Participation, and we are partners in the emerging national siblings network. And last, but certainly not least, we have worked tirelessly to eliminate the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. These are just a few examples of our many pioneering efforts, and all this has been possible thanks to you. You are dedicated, determined, accomplished, and passionate individuals. You care deeply about others and you strive to make a difference in this world. My role here at AAIDD has been to support your efforts and to move our INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES VOLUME 48, NUMBER 4: 297–298 | AUGUST 2010