2006 — Keeping the Charge: Personal and Economic Freedom for People with Intellectual Disabilities

The 2006 Report to the President emphasizes the point that most Americans with intellectual disabilities want jobs in order to earn an income, seek to open savings accounts, and desire to build assets for the purposes of continued education, a first home and/or investment in a micro enterprise business.  For many people with intellectual disabilities, such opportunities rarely exist.  Although citizens with intellectual disabilities desire the same kind of opportunities as all other Americans, most have been trapped into a life of continuing poverty and dependency with no mechanism to make their way on their own.  This report highlights numerous areas of economic and financial challenges facing adults with intellectual disabilities.  Although, no formal recommendations were submitted by the Committee with this report, the Committee encouraged further explanations on asset development.

Introduction

It is estimated that some six million Americans of all ages, or three percent of the general population of the United States have an intellectual disability (mental retardation). Nearly 30 million, or one in ten families, are directly affected by a person with intellectual disabilities at some point in their lifetime. Intellectual disabilities present a major challenge to social, educational, health and economic systems in the United States.

The President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities was first established in 1966 by Executive Order to focus on this critical subject of national concern.

The Committee’s primary function is to provide advice and assistance to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on a broad range of matters relating to programs, services, supports, and policies that impact the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

In February, 2001 President George W. Bush declared his commitment to tearing down the barriers to equality that challenge millions of Americans with disabilities when he announced his New Freedom Initiative, established to improve the lives of Americans with disabilities by increasing access to assistive technologies, expanding educational opportunities, increasing the ability of people with disabilities to integrate into the workforce, and promoting increased access into daily community life. In order to continue to provide improved opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities, it is imperative that policy makers, advocacy groups and the disability community stay at the forefront of new programs and cutting edge technologies with the potential to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Asset development represents a tremendous opportunity to create greater independence, foster self-determination, and ensure people with intellectual disabilities greater access to full citizenship rights. It is the intention of the following report to heighten awareness of the challenges and opportunities of asset development for people with intellectual disabilities.