Kentucky Protection and Advocacy (P&A) is a client-directed legal rights agency that protects and promotes the rights of persons with disabilities. P&A is an independent state agency, and it derives its authority from both federal and state law; specifically the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) 42 U.S.C. § 6000 et. seq.; the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act (PAIMI Act) 42 U.S.C. §10801 et. seq.; and Kentucky Revised Statute 31.010 (2).
Kentucky P&A receives part of its funding from the
Administration on Developmental Disabilities, the Center for Mental Health
Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the
Rehabilitation Services Administration, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, and the Social Security Administration.
Kentucky P&A is a member of the National Disability
Rights Network NDRN, a nonprofit umbrella organization to which all 57
protection and advocacy systems belong.
Congress gave P&As the authority to access
individuals with disabilities, their records and the locations where they
receive services and supports to investigate abuse and neglect, monitor
facilities, provide information and referral services, and pursue legal and
other remedies on their behalf.
I was thrilled when Linda Horseman, DPA Appeals Attorney,
contacted me about the continued need for education regarding the use of the “R-word”. As we P&A types had long since moved away
from the use of this hurtful and demeaning word, I had forgotten that not all live in our
world..., and appreciated the needed reminder from Linda. I was privileged at the opportunity to work
alongside an advocate, and mother of a child with a disability, to try and
educate all that use of the “R-word” is unacceptable.
On the final day and in the final hours of the
2012 legislative session, House Bill (HB) 485, the bill to ban the use of the “R-word”,
was approved by members of the legislature. HB 485 was signed by Governor
Beshear on April 18, 2012.
House Bill 485 created a new section of KRS
Chapter 446 to provide that the Kentucky Revised Statutes shall no longer
utilize the terms "mental retardation" or "mentally
retarded" or abbreviations that use the letters "MR" to signify
mental retardation or mentally retarded; set forth terms that shall be used
instead, including "intellectual disability," "intellectual
disabilities," "individual with an intellectual disability,"
"individuals with an intellectual disability," "individual with
a serious intellectual disability," or "individuals with a serious
intellectual disability"; change the names of ICF/MRs to ICF/IDs to the
extent permitted by federal law.
The following is an excerpt from an interview with Lesley
Reising, member of the Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with
Developmental Disabilities (PADD) Advisory Board, as told to Jeff Edwards, PADD
Program Coordinator.
Lesley: My name is Lesley Reising and I am from the
great state of Kentucky, I was born in Richmond and now I live in Richmond.
Lesley, you are an extremely busy person. Provide a few examples of how busy you are.
Lesley: Right now I am getting ready to run two 5Ks
in March. I volunteer with ABLE of
Lexington. There I work in the office
and do home repairs, too. We repair
homes of senior citizens and people with disabilities. I help through tear down, rebuilding and
finishing. I do lawn maintenance there,
too. I also went to Africa and helped build a two block school.
Lesley, what is a two block school?
A block is a room.
We put in plumbing and electricity there; most schools don’t have
plumbing or electricity. I worked in two villages in Africa; I collected
clothes, toys, and school supplies to take with us. I collect supplies all the time. Right now I am getting ready to go to Belize
to work on an orphanage.
Lesley, you spend most of your free time helping
people. Why?
Lesley: I volunteer because people need help.
Lesley, tell us how you have fought for your rights in
Frankfort.
Lesley: I have
been a fighter all of my life, from breaking down doctor’s predictions of my
life expectancy, to beating cancer, and to fighting for my rights in our state
capitol.
I worked hard to get legislators and Governor Beshear to
ban use of the “R-word”. I worked with staff from the Governor’s office, staff
from the behavioral health and developmental/intellectual disabilities and
other advocates to ban use of the “R” word.
Lesley, what do you mean when you say the “R-word”?
Lesley: Retarded.
Why was it important to ban use of the “R-word”?
Lesley: I am an advocate, an activist, a volunteer, a
presenter, a board member, an office holder and an athlete. I would like for people to be referred to or
called by their names, and not called “retarded”.
Lesley, you were there the day Governor Beshear signed
the ban of the use of the “R word” into law, correct?
Lesley: I sure was and I yelled “yee- haw”, I am a
Kentucky mountain gal.
For more information see R-word | Spread the Word to End the Word
