A new fight to protect people with disabilities from caregiver abuse is taking shape on Beacon Hill, where advocates are urging lawmakers to expand an abuser registry aimed at protecting people with disabilities. “It’s so frustrating. Just do your job,” said Ann Joyce, whose non-verbal son Dana was abused by a group home staff member. They joined a team of parents pushing legislation to create a disability protection board abuser registry. The registry would bar abusive caregivers from caring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Employers now check it before hiring people to work in group homes. It’s been up and running since July 2021, and 102 abusers are on the registry. So far, 90,000 people in 250 group homes have been screened by employers. But there are gaps. The system doesn’t apply to day rehabilitation programs that serve 8,000 adults with disabilities every week. “These are the most vulnerable people. They don’t have a voice. We need to do this. We have to do it,” said Dana’s father, Paul Joyce. “If they get fired from a group home for abuse, they can go work at a day program next door. So we have to break this loop.” A bill to extend the registry to these programs is moving forward on Beacon Hill as the session draws to a close. So far, there has been no opposition to the bill, but no action has been taken. Nancy Altieri, executive director of the state Commission on Disability Protection, said the bill would be “an important next step in ensuring the safety of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” The Joyces said there is no excuse for putting their son, or thousands of others with disabilities, at risk. “We are relentless. We’re not going to give up. Let’s get this done,” Ann said.
Boston —
A new fight to protect people with disabilities from caregiver abuse is brewing on Beacon Hill, with advocates calling on lawmakers to expand an abuser registry to protect people with disabilities.
“It’s so frustrating. Please do your job,” said Ann Joyce, whose non-verbal son Dana was abused by staff at a group home.
They joined a team of parents pushing for legislation to create a disability protection commissioner’s abuser registry.
The registry was created to prevent abusive caregivers from caring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Employers currently check the registry before hiring people to work in group homes. The registry has been in operation since July 2021, and 102 abusers are on the registry. So far, 90,000 people in 250 group homes have been screened by employers.
But there’s a gap: It doesn’t apply to the outpatient rehabilitation program that serves 8,000 adults with disabilities each week.
“These are the most vulnerable people. They don’t have a voice. We have to do this work. We have to do it,” said Dana’s father, Paul Joyce. “They get fired from their group home for abuse, and then they go work in the day program next door. So we have to end this loop.”
A bill to expand enrollment to cover those programs is moving forward on Beacon Hill with time running out before the end of the session. So far, there has been no opposition to the bill, but no action has been taken.
Nancy Altieri, executive director of the state’s Commission on Disability Protection, said the bill would be “an important next step in ensuring the safety of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
The Joyces said there was no excuse for putting their son and thousands of other disabled people at risk.
“We are relentless. We won’t give up. Come on, come on, let’s get this done,” Ann said.