The President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) 2016 Report is now available online.
The report, Strengthening an Inclusive Pathway for People with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families, recognizes the “great strides” made since President John F. Kennedy established a blue-ribbon panel to address the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and their families and PCPID Chairman Jack Brandt notes that, “despite these advances, the trajectory for a person with an intellectual disability remains limited.”
The report examines four key areas to determine how a new path can be forged for people with intellectual disabilities to be included in all aspects of society:
- Early family engagement to support high expectations for students with disabilities;
- Federal education policies and enforcement strategies to end segregation in schools;
- Transition to adulthood as a critical timeframe for establishing paths to higher education and career development; and
- Self-determination and supported decision-making starting in early childhood and continuing throughout the individual’s lifespan.
Brandt is the new chairman for PCPID and is appreciative of the efforts of the former chair, Julie Petty. Brandt says, “Julie’s leadership of PCPID took the organization to a new and positive place. I appreciate her outstanding service to PCPID.”
PCPID serves in an advisory capacity to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) promoting policies and initiatives that support independence and lifelong inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in their respective communities. The committee includes representatives from several federal agencies and 12 citizen members.