Focus Area 2: Most Inclusive Settings
Image of the Future: We recognize disability as a natural part of the human experience. People must be able to live the lives that they choose, and their lives must be free from abuse, discrimination, exploitation, harm, isolation, and neglect. Disability Rights Nebraska envisions a society where all people have the supports they need in order to experience self-determination by making their own real and meaningful choices — a society where all people are free to pursue opportunities in order to live culturally valued lives in fully integrated communities that are free from barriers, exploitation, and stigma.
Goal 2A: Investigate and respond to allegations of rights violations that impede people with disabilities from learning, living and working in the most inclusive settings.
Objective 2A.1: Address at least 50 alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Nebraska Fair Housing Act through systemic advocacy, individual advocacy, limited advocacy, and self-advocacy assistance.
Objective 2A.2: Provide individual advocacy, limited advocacy, and self-advocacy assistance to at least five individuals in need of assistive technology and related services.
Objective 2A.3: Assist at least 15 beneficiaries of Social Security facing barriers to employment though individual advocacy, limited advocacy and self-advocacy assistance.
Goal 2B: Advocate for people with disabilities to learn, live and work in the most inclusive settings.
Objective 2B.1: Engage in a range of advocacy efforts, including collaboration with stakeholder organizations, to address the Olmstead Plan including the need for integrated housing and services for people with serious mental illness.
Objective 2B.2: Conduct educational activities to work towards eliminating sub-minimum wage jobs and decreasing utilization of sheltered workshops by increasing competitive employment opportunities for people with disabilities, including utilization of the Medicaid Insurance for Workers with Disabilities program.
Objective 2B.3: Continue to research barriers to being served in the most integrated setting experienced by children and youth with mental illnesses who are in residential treatment facilities, including juvenile justice facilities and conduct monitoring visits to four identified facilities.
Objective 2B.4: Continue to advocate for Home and Community-Based Services and monitor the implementation of the final settings rule under the Medicaid program.
Objective 2B.5: Raise awareness of the needs of the most vulnerable people with disabilities and the work we do by conducting outreach through relationship building, presentations, events/tabling, materials and other methods.
Objective 2B.6: Organize, educate, and provide on-going support to ordinary citizens across Nebraska to become effective lay advocates for inclusive education opportunities for students with disabilities.
Objective 2B.7: Engage in Public Policy activities related to the inclusion of people with disabilities in emergency or disaster response and planning.
