The Arc represents infants, children and adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
The Arc supports the closure of Jacksonville Developmental Centers as long as the people living there have a safe and smooth transition to community services. We also need to make sure that the necessary resources are available to community providers to insure that transition.
Everyone can live in the community close to family and friends with the proper supports. There are now fourteen states without state institutions yet, Illinois continues to support with significant resources no less than eight state institutions. Institutional living is a relic of the past and it needs to go away.
We have a viable option and it is community living.
We have a road-map to change the Illinois system, “The Illinois Blueprint for System Redesign,” which will show us the way.
What we need now is the political will to do the right thing and move this obsolete institutional system into a community system that supports everyone based upon their individual needs.
It is time to re-balance the Illinois Disability System. It is time to close the Jacksonville Developmental Center.
Sincerely,
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL) Tony@www.thearcofil.org
