Advocates praise new state protections for people with disabilities
Local lawmakers and advocates lauded a trio of new executive orders designed to offer expanded data security and legislative advisory capacity for Pennsylvanians with disabilities.
The orders, which were signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro late last week, reestablished the Developmental Disabilities Council and created the Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities, among a number of other protections.
“It’s fantastic, (Shapiro) has always been a great supporter of people with disabilities, especially in getting the resources and funding to support them,” said The Arc of Washington County Director of Advocacy Darrilyn McCrerey. “It’s an exciting time.”
According to a release from the Governor’s Office, the first order reaffirms the commonwealth’s nondiscrimination commitment, and ensures that personal data collected by state agencies about individuals with disabilities is limited to the minimum amount necessary.
The second and third orders empower two advisory bodies composed of people with disabilities, family members or those with relevant expertise to recommend policy changes pertaining to disability policy.
The council is more narrow in focus than the commission, with a specific mandate to directly advise the governor on all matters concerning individuals with disabilities and will develop and implement a statewide plan.
McCrerey said that intentionally seeking the input of people with disabilities will be “absolutely beneficial.”
“Having the voices of people with lived experience will be huge, because it’s so important to hear their voices,” she said.
Disability rights groups have long advocated for government officials to center the perspectives of people with disabilities when drafting legislation that will affect this community.
According to Rep. Jessica Benham, a local legislator who cofounded the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy in 2014, it’s reassuring to see the governor take steps to protect the privacy and rights of Pennsylvanians with disabilities.
“It makes me, as a person with a disability, very nervous when I hear our federal government talk about creating a list of people with disabilities because I don’t necessarily trust that such information will be handled in a way that is respectful, well-intentioned and private,” Benham said in a statement.
Benham said that it is important for people with disabilities to have a say in how their government functions, so she was “pleasantly surprised” to see Shapiro create an advisory commission composed of individuals with disabilities – an idea she has long endorsed.
“There will always be more work to be done to ensure that we are creating a Commonwealth where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside the Governor to make progress,” she said.
More than 242,000 people receive intellectual and physical disability services in their homes or communities across the commonwealth, according to a statement from Shapiro.
“Far too often, decisions have been made about people with disabilities, but not with them,” Shapiro said in a statement. “These new executive orders that I signed today will not only improve services for Pennsylvanians with disabilities, they’ll also give this community a real seat at the table – helping my administration bring about real change and deliver on policies that Pennsylvanians with disabilities actually need.”