OMRDD to Host Public Hearing on its Five Year Comprehensive Plan

The New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) will be hosting a Public Hearing on September 8, from 3 to 6 p.m. to receive additional feedback on the draft of its proposed Five Year Comprehensive Plan: 2008-2012.

This hearing will be held at three locations in the state and will be conducted as a live video-conference with OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter, who will be in attendance at the Schenectady, N.Y. location and will be participating via video-conference at the other two locations (see below).

“I spent several days out on the road this past June on a ‘listening tour,’ which helped us formulate this new draft Five Year Comprehensive Plan,” said Ritter. “I am hoping that the outcome from this tour is a document that reflects the voice of the people and meets the needs and concerns of individuals with developmental disabilities, their families and the agencies that provide them with supports and services.”

“I encourage self-advocates, parents of people with developmental disabilities, other family members, nonprofit providers, professionals, advocates and other interested parties to let me know if the Plan incorporates their priorities, needs and concerns,” Ritter added.

The draft Five Year Comprehensive Plan reflects OMRDD’s new Mission and Vision Statement and sets forth plans for implementing a transformational agenda around supporting people with developmental disabilities to enjoy meaningful relationships with friends, family and others in their lives, experience personal health and growth, live in a home of their choice, and fully participate in their communities.

The draft Plan will be available on OMRDD’s Web site at www.omr.state.ny.us as of August 29, 2008, or a printed version can be requested through a local Developmental Disabilities Services Office (DDSO) prior to the hearing.

Individuals speaking will be asked to register in advance of the forum, limit their comments to three minutes, and bring three copies of the testimony with them. We strongly encourage that written testimony be forwarded to us for review and consideration in completing the final Plan as registrations to speak may exceed available time. For more information, contact OMRDD’s Bureau of Planning, 518-474-4904; fax, 518-473-0054, or email Cynthia.Redshaw@omr.state.ny.us.

The locations of the scheduled hearing are as follows:

? Schenectady: Capital District DDSO/O.D. Heck Developmental Center, 500 Balltown Road, Schenectady, NY 12304, Building 3, Conference Room 2. Contact: Karen Francisco, (518) 370-7429;

? New York City: NYCRO/Metro New York DDSO, 75 Morton St., New York, NY 10014, Activities Center, 1^st Floor. Contact: Yvonne Anglero, (212) 229-3081; and

? Rochester: Finger Lakes DDSO/Monroe Developmental Center, 620 Westfall Road, ? Rochester, NY 14620, Room ¾ and Room 25 Leaf. Contact: Pam Lane, (585) 241-5748.

To register to speak, obtain more information or directions to the hearing location, or to arrange for a special accommodation, please call the contact person for the hearing location. For more about the draft Five Year Comprehensive Plan: 2008-2012, contact Nicole Weinstein, Acting Director of Public Information, OMRDD, 518-474-6601.

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