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The disAbility Resource Center (dRC) is an Independent Living Center founded to empower persons of all ages with all types of disabilities to reach their highest level of independence, including community inclusion and employment.

To promote the philosophy of Independent Living through community-based programs and individually through personal contact with consumers.
To establish the foundation for self-determination by teaching and providing advocacy, establishing peer support and counseling, developing and maintaining an information and referral network, and to provide training for independent living skills.

Since the people who best understand life with a disability are those who live with and survive disabilities themselves, this center is consumer controlled. That means when you need support or help with a problem, you can be sure that the advice you receive will be based on the real world experiences of others who've been there. Consumer control is also achieved by offering guidance as we assist each consumer in creating their own workable plan to achieve independence. By requiring the consumer to participate in the creation of their own plan we believe they will attain the goal of self-determination.

URGENT ACTION ALERT on H. 3797!!!

The link below will give you the contact information for your representatives if you know your zip choose one. Please contact your state House member right now to tell them to kill H. 3797.

http://www.scstatehouse.net/cgi-bin/zipcodesearch.exe

This wolf in sheep's clothing sets of mandatory licensing for home care workers. It is not limited to business agencies but includes people who work one to one, selling their own labor. There is an exemption allowing individuals to work one to one, but a second person can be helped only if that person is a close blood relative. This leaves out not only gay couples (obviously!) But also married heterosexual couples because they are not related by blood. Most importantly, it creates a system whereby people with disabilities have control over our bodies only to the extent that the state says we can.

In 2002, the nursing law was amended to allow us to hire people to work with our bodies at our direction, Without nursing supervision or licensing. This bill would roll back that victory. We should be making it easier for individuals and families to find people able and willing to meet their needs, and this bill is pushed by established home care agencies that want to knock out competition from the moms and pops.

I tried very hard to fix the bill in subcommittee, but its sponsor has been intransigent. It has passed out of committee and is now in the House. The place to kill it may be in the Senate subcommittee, but our House members need to hear from us now. If we manage only to slow it down so that it stays in the House after May 1st, it will become much more difficult to pass.

Call your House member and say you want to kill the bill 3797. You do not need elaborate reasons. You use in-home care or a family member or friend does. You do not think a broad mandatory regulation is needed. There are better ways to protect health and safety.

If you want to know more, please contact:

Harriet McBryde Johnson
Phone: (843) 722-0178
E-Mail: hmjohnson1@earthlink.net

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