Development of Community S E R V I C E S in Nebraska

P a r e n t s o f m e n t a l l y r e t a r d e d c i t i z e n s i n the S t a t e o f N e b r a s k a have been r e s p o n s i b l e f o r i n i t i a t i n g the deve lopmen t o f an i n n o v a t i v e new s e r v i c e s y s tem. I n the l a t e 6 0 ' s , p a r e n t s l o b b i e d f o r s t a t e l e g i s l a t i o n w h i c h w o u l d improve the l i v e s o f r e t a r d e d c i t i z e n s . E d u c a t i o n f o r c h i l d r e n c l a s s i f i e d a s t r a i n a b l e m e n t a l l y r e t a r d e d was made m a n d a t o r y . A n t i s t e r i 1 i z a t i o n laws were p a s s e d . A n t i q u a t e d , d e h u m a n i z i n g t e r m i n o l o g y was s t r u c k f rom s t a t e s t a t u t e s . Town h a l l m e e t i n g s a c r o s s the s t a t e were h e l d , a n d c i t i z e n a w a r e n e s s and c o n c e r n f o r the s t a t u s o f r e t a r d e d p e r s o n s was a r o u s e d . I n 1 9 6 8 , many p a r e n t s o f m e n t a l l y r e t a r d e d c i t i z e n s , a s members o f the N e b r a s k a A s s o c i a t i o n f o r R e t a r d e d C h i l d r e n , r e q u e s t e d a s t u d y o f the s t a t e ' s i n s t i t u t i o n f o r the m e n t a l l y r e t a r d e d . Members o f N e b r a s k a C i t i z e n s ' S t u d y Commi t t ee , a p p o i n t e d b y a g o v e r n o r c o n c e r n e d w i t h the r i g h t s a n d needs o f r e t a r d e d c i t i z e n s , went t o w o r k . A f t e r i n v e s t i g a t i n g the s t a t e ' s s e r v i c e s f o r m e n t a l l y r e t a r d e d p e r s o n s , the commi t tee c o n c l u d e d t h a t the p r o b l e m s o f the s t a t e home c o u l d o n l y b e a l l e v i a t e d b y a r a d i c a l l y new a p p r o a c h t o s e r v i c e d e l i v e r y .