30:1AA-1.2 Provisions relative to programs, projects, activities declared as public policy.

2. It is the public policy of the State that all programs, projects and activities conducted by the State Council on Developmental Disabilities shall be carried out in a manner consistent with the following provisions:

a. Individuals with developmental disabilities, including those with the most severe developmental disabilities, are capable of self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life, but often require the provision of community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance;

b. Individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have competencies, capabilities and personal goals that should be recognized, supported and encouraged, and any assistance to these individuals should be provided in an individualized manner, consistent with the unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities and capabilities of these individuals;

c. Individuals with developmental disabilities and their families are the primary decision-makers regarding the services and supports they receive, including services and supports for choosing, from available options, where the individuals live, and they should play decision-making roles in policies and programs that affect their lives;

d. Services, supports and other assistance should be provided in a manner that demonstrates respect for individual dignity, personal preferences and cultural differences;

e. Individuals with developmental disabilities from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds and their families need specific efforts to ensure that they can enjoy increased and meaningful opportunities to access and use community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance available to other individuals with developmental disabilities and their families;

f. Recruitment efforts relating to pre-service training, community training, practice, administration and policymaking must focus on bringing larger numbers of racial and ethnic minorities into these disciplines in order to provide appropriate skills, knowledge, role models and sufficient personnel to address the growing needs of an increasingly diverse population with developmental disabilities;

g. With education and support, communities can be accessible and responsive to the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and they are enriched by the contributions and full and active participation in community activities by individuals with developmental disabilities and their amities;

h. Individuals with developmental disabilities should have access to opportunities and the necessary support to be included in community life, have interdependent relationships, live in homes and communities and make contributions to their families, communities, the State and the nation;

i. Efforts undertaken to maintain or expand community-based living options for individuals with disabilities must be monitored in order to determine and report to appropriate individuals and entities the extent of access by individuals with developmental disabilities to those options, and the extent of compliance with quality assurance standards by entities providing the options;

j. Families of children with developmental disabilities need to have access to, and use of, safe and appropriate child care and before- and after-school programs in the most integrated settings in order to enrich the participation of the children in community life;

k. Individuals with developmental disabilities need to have access to, and use of, public transportation in order to be independent and directly contribute to, and participate in, all facets of community life; and

l. Individuals with developmental disabilities need to have access to, and use of, recreational, leisure and social opportunities in the most integrated settings in order to enrich their participation in community life.

L.2003,c.54,s.2.