Committee says steps will mend disability system

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2002 | 11:15 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Hundreds, if not thousands, of Nevadans with disabilities are not receiving appropriate services and care, a national consultant says.

The entire system is grossly underfunded, ranking at or near the bottom when compared to other states, said Tony Records, who operates a consulting firm in Bethesda, Md.

To remedy this situation, a legislative committee Monday recommended a number of steps, including creating an ombudsman for the disabled, establishing a separate agency in state government and reducing the waiting list for those who need services.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, who chaired the committee, said this proposal comes at a time of a budget crunch.

"We need help from the disabled community. You have got to turn their people out," Titus said. "When resources are less, competition is greater."

The committee recommended creation of a program to provide one-stop service to the disabled who telephone or go online to find out what services are available

State Human Resources Director Mike Willden told the committee that the disabled need to access the system without hassle, either by telephone or computer. It would cost an estimated $650,000, he said.

Anne Cory, president of the United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra, said many parts of the service are already available. There are telephone services for drug addiction, elder and child abuse, rape crisis and suicide prevention.

Cory, who offered to work with the state in establishing the disabled line, said the money would be used for some staffing, equipment and getting telephone systems in the state hooked up to the line.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, said it had the potential of receiving more calls than the 911 law enforcement emergency line.

"It should be comprehensive. It will be expensive but useful," Rawson said.

Willden also recommended that all state services be coordinated under his Human Resources Department or the Employment Training and Rehabilitation Department if it pertains to jobs.

The committee also adopted a recommendation to create an ombudsman for the disabled, much like those existing for the elderly.

The state must comply with a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000, the Olmstead Decision, that outlines how states must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It provides guidelines for the state to integrate people with disabilities into their communities.

Nevada, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, has 375,910 people over the age of 5 with disabilities, or about 20 percent of the population. The 2001 Legislature allocated $150,000 to develop plans to handle this growing problem.

Records, in his review of Nevada, said: "Many people who live in the community are unnecessarily languishing in nursing facilities or other segregated settings, missing out on the many opportunities the community offers them

"There are many others that are at imminent risk of unnecessary institutionalization due to the lack of available community services."

Records has consulted in more than 20 states on services for people with disabilities and has been deemed an expert witness in civil cases in this area.

The committee suggested that the state reduce the waiting time for services for the disabled to 90 days.

Records said a preliminary review of the Nevada plan appears to comply with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.