 About Us! Welcome to Friends of Retarded Citizens of Connecticut (FORConn)! FORConn was organized in 1984 as a 501(c)3 charity and is member supported and operated. Our State-Wide parent and guardian volunteer organization advocates for all persons who are mentally challenged, regardless of their age and preferred place of residence, education, work, play and worship. FORConn members believe that full range of choice for all services is a top priority for mentally challenged persons and their families. In contrast to the position of the Arc of Connecticut, FORConn has always, and will continue to be, completely committed to individuals with disabilities being able to choose where they will live, work and play, whether it is at home, in a community setting, or in a DDS campus facility. If these individuals cannot make informed decisions, their guardians, who have been approved by a Probate Court, can make decisions for their wards.
In
addition, parents should be allowed to choose where and how
their handicapped children will receive their education.
Our
Vision
FORConn envisions the day when all people welcome full participation and inclusion of all Connecticut citizens with disabilities in their communities. Our Mission FORConn is a State-Wide Parent and Guardian Volunteer Organization that works for the welfare of all Connecticut Citizens who are have special needs, regardless of their handicap, care needed or preferences. Want to know more about FORConn? Please choose any of the following........ WHY WE STILL USE "MENTAL RETARDATION" A response by Voice of the Retarded (VOR) printed in their July 2010 Newsletter The Name Game Advocates and policymakers agree that the pejorative use of the word "retarded" is unacceptable under any circumstances. More and more, however, states are removing completely "Mental Retardation" in agency names and state laws, opting for broader terms such as intellectual or developmental disabilities. Advocates are split on whether this trend is in the best interest of individuals with mental retardation. Broadly, opinions regarding the use of this language fall into two camps.
VOR's Name and Mission VOR's official name remains "Voice of the retarded," and our mission continues to relate specifically to advocate on behalf of people with mental retardation. It is by design that VOR's mission adheres to the more narrow population of "mental retardation", in contrast to nondescript labels ("intellectual disabilities" and far broader populations ("developmental disabilities"). People with mental retardation are a defined group with defined services and eligibility criteria. Likewise, it is by design that VOR has adopted official usage of its acronym, rather than its full name, on marketing and in communication materials. The term "Retarded" is offensive to some members of our constituency, and a "turn off" to some policy and lawmakers. We do our mission and constituency a significant disservice if our audience doesn't hear our message because they can't get past our name. Have advocates, policymakers and lawmakers abandoned people in favor of PC names? The ARC (formerly known as the Association for Retarded Citizens) officially changed its name several years ago; a change to its Mission followed soon thereafter. More recently, the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) became the American Association for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAPIDD). The President's Committee on Mental Retardation is now President's Committee for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID). Yet, the term remains squarely in federal and state entitlement laws (including Medicaid), and is still used by the medical profession in offering primary and secondary diagnoses. Simply states, "mental retardation" is a recognized condition that, when diagnosed by a medical professional, provides individuals eligibility for specific rights and benefits. For VOR to accomplish our objectives, we feel bound to adhere to the same terminology used in federal laws, including laws that fund programs for "people with mental retardation." Any other designation clouds the issue and makes our ability to advocate far more difficult. Furthermore, we feel strongly that any other designation serves to expand those eligible for services now only available to people with mental retardation, and thereby puts at risk people with mental retardation. To explain this latter point, consider the term "developmental disabled." By law someone is developmentally disabled if they are physically AND/OR mentally disabled, became disabled before the age of 22, and has limitations in three major life activities. Major life activities include self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. It is possible that an individual can be cognitively-able but developmentally disabled. While VOR agrees that every person with developmental disabilities requires and deserves access to high quality services and supports, we are concerned that to expand our advocacy to include "developmental disabilities" hinders our effectiveness to advocate for people with mental retardation. A few years back, The ARC-US published and excellent white paper spelling out the rationale for keeping "mental retardation" part of its Mission Statement. The document, titled "Mental Retardation v. Developmental Disabilities: Should The ARC Change its Focus From Serving People With Mental Retardation to Serving People With All Developmental Disabilities?" can be found at :http://www.thearc.org/ga/abstract.hml. Here is an excerpt that appears at the beginning of the paper: "While this change--at first-- might seem minor, it has major implications for children and adults with mental retardation and their families and the ARC. What is the Real Difference Between Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities? Many people who think 'developmental disabilities' is simply a nicer term for 'mental retardation' do not realize that the definition of developmental disabilities does not apply to most people with mild mental retardation." It should be noted that despite the ARC's research on this issue in the past, The ARC ultimately reversed itself and dropped "mental retardation" form its Mission Statement, opting instead to use "cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities." Staying the Course The above provides some back ground into VOR's decision, at this time, to maintain our constituency (People with Mental Retardation), but use our well-know acronym, VOR. From an advocacy perspective, VOR is interested in expressing with clarity our constituency so that when approaching lawmakers and policymakers, we can speak clearly with regard to the services and supports needed. As many others in the disability move away from 'mental retardation,' VOR is proud to stand alons as The Voice for this constituency. www.vor.net
Want to help advocated for people who are mentally challenged and who live in Connecticut? Please, Join us!
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