Center for Outcome Analysis Support LetterFor those who are not familiar with Assembly Bill 896, which proposes to
close California's institutions for people with developmental disabilities,
more information is available from this Inclusion Daily Express web page:
The Center for Outcome Analysis
201 Sabine Avenue
Narberth, PA 19072
610-668-9001, FAX 610-668-9002, email [email protected]
May 18, 2001
The Honorable Carole Migden
Chair, Assembly Committee on Appropriations
State Capitol, Room 2114
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: AB 896 (Aroner)
Dear Assemblymember Migden:
Reluctant as I am to engage in political matters, I feel compelled to write
to you to express support for AB 896. Your committee will be hearing
testimony about this bill on May 23. The testimony will undoubtedly be
polarized. There are two powerful camps on opposite sides on this one.
I write as a scientist. My non-profit company has recently completed visits
with all the 2400 people who left California's Developmental Centers for new
homes in communities over the past 7years. (Actually, our completion rate
was 92% this year.)
I believe that to remain silent about what we have found would be ethically
wrong. Therefore I write to tell you that, on the average, those people's
lives have been immensely enriched and enhanced by moving from institutions
to community homes.
I do not advocate or "promote" either side of this agonizing national
dilemma. I simply possess data that must be considered in the public policy
debate.
We collected solid, reliable measures of integration, independence,
productivity, satisfaction, health, health care, friendships, choicemaking,
and a dozen other dimensions of quality of life for every one of those
people. We also surveyed every person's closest relative by mail. The
results are quite dramatic and consistent, even across four different
research designs.
Moreover, our work has been replicated by very capable researchers at
California State University, as well as by researchers at the Berkeley
Planning Associates, with full and accurate confirmation of our findings.
Anyone who claims that our work was biased, and someone surely will, must
explain why the other groups obtained results that were within a few
percentage points of ours on so many measures of quality.
The fact is that people in California who moved out of Developmental Centers
are "better off" in most ways that we know how to measure. And the cost of
community services is much lower than the Developmental Centers, on the
average. Better lives and better services for fewer tax dollars.
The evidence strongly supports the contention that AB 896 would benefit
Californians with developmental disabilities. Anecdotes and "horror stories"
must not be permitted to rule the day. We have data that are verifiable by
others. Please consider the evidence before voting on AB 896. The choice is
clear.
If you or your staff members would like more detail about our findings, some
are available at www.oaksgroup.org. The rest are available at the Department
of Developmental Services (23 formal research reports so far).
Certainly I am available for discussions in any form or location.
Sincerely,
James W. Conroy, Ph.D.