Inherent Values

When I first began working as an advocate for people with developmental disabilities many years ago, I had a discussion with the medical director of a very large state-run facility where hundreds of people reside. Our discussion was pretty blunt. I mentioned that it seemed to me that far too many people lived at the facility and I argued that many of the residents could be better served in community-based facilities (and at less costs than at an insitution). To my surprise, the medical director whole-heartedly agreed. We also discussed how to best serve people with profound disabilities. We agreed that the same insitution has residents that can do little more than blink and cough. Not too long before I had this conversation with the medical director, the top administrator of the state's main social services department toured the facility at which the medical director served. That official commented to the medical that it seemed to be major waste of money to keep people that can do little more than blink and cough in a state institution.

After the medical director shared that with me, he brough me into a room where a girl with profound developmental disabilities stayed. She really could do little else than blink and cough. When we entered the room, her rate of blinking and coughing increased dramatically. I was somewhat worried. The medical director assured me that the increased blinking and coughing was her way of letting us know that she knew we were there and that she did this whenever someone entered the room when she was awake.

I was reminded of all of this when I read a Zenit artricle on the presentation that Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche, a community that serves the needs (especially the spiritual needs) of people with developmental disabilities, gave to the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec. Since I cannot add anything to Vanier's comments, please go to the Zenit article at: http://www.zenit.org/article-22965?l=english.