As an Advocate and Speaker on topics relating to individuals with special needs due to developmental delays, I had the honor of speaking to a group of employees of a Maryland institution known as "Rosewood."
The residents of Rosewood all have varying degrees of developmental delays. However, Rosewood has been extremely problematic and suffered from severe deterioration and was not suitable to house anybody, let alone individuals who could not fight for themselves. Thus, it took a number of years for advocates and organizations to finally force Rosewood closed. Therefore, on June 1, 2009, all residents must be moved out of Rosewood, which also isolated them from community living, and placed into community housing such as group homes!
These courageous and dedicated employees are preparing and planning to open group homes to care for these Rosewood individuals. As a Speaker, I shared with them how an indivudal has an increased quality of life in the community and with proper planning and TLC, they can receive services in the community as well. The basis of my Speech was raising my own severly disabled child at home with needed supports.
Because the Rosewood individuals have lived in that dilapidated compund for decades in most cases, my theme was appropriately titled: "We Are The Ones They Have Waited For" as our nation prepared to celebrate Independence Day...on the heals of Juneteenth Day!
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, August 18th 2008 at 4:24PM
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