How Georgia Ranks in Providing Services for People with Disabilities

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) releases The Case for Inclusion each year, tracking the progress of community living standards for Americans living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD). The report examines data and outcomes for all 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC), ranking each on a set of key indicators, including how people with disabilities live and participate in their communities, if they are satisfied with their lives, and how easily the services and supports they need are accessed. By taking these factors into account, UCP is able to develop a comprehensive analysis of each state's progress or failures in providing critical services to individuals living with disabilities.

The findings for 2013 reveal that: 1) All states have room for some improvement, but some have consistently remained at the bottom of the rankings; 2) Despite economic strains, many states have made real improvements in the quality of services being provided; 3) There is still work to be done in ensuring that people with ID/DD can enjoy the same freedoms and quality of life as all Americans. 

I am pleased that Georgia is not in the bottom ten but we remain in the bottom 20!  In many areas, our progress is flat and services to get and keep people employed in the community are actually declining.  You can see the rankings and other data here:

http://www.ucp.org/the-case-for-inclusion/2013/state_scorecards.html