Background:

Founded: June 11, 2001
Current Headquarters: Jericho, Long Island, New York
Membership: 400-500 individuals/families, most having a child with Down Syndrome

Summary:

After several years of meetings with our membership, regarding long-term residential options for adults with Down Syndrome (and others with mild developmental setbacks), we have come to the following conclusions:

Although the current in vogue Group Home residential model (randomly dispersed residences throughout society) is a giant leap forward from institutional settings, it is not optimal for the following reasons: 
·Actual day-to-day integration with others in the neighborhood can occur at times,  but it is certainly not the norm.
·Neighbors can harbor negative feelings based on a perceived risk to property valuation.
·Service providers have difficulty maintaining quality control over Group Home programs and staff because of the distance separating the homes.

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT SHORT COMING OF THE CURRENT GROUP HOME MODEL IS:
IT LIMITS THE CHOICE OF LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY (WALKING DISTANCE) TO FRIENDS WITH SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS.

 Many States have laws that prohibit “over concentration” of people with Down Syndrome in any particular neighborhood.  This has eliminated a preferred option that others in our society enjoy.  For example:

Golfers enjoy being with golfers in a residential setting.
Boaters enjoy spending time with other boaters
Retirees like to be with other retirees…etc, etc.

But if a group of buddies with Down Syndrome want to live close to each other, they are thwarted by the word “overconcentration” which is used like some type of disease.  This discriminatory policy has unfortunately become accepted by our society as being "O.K.".

We believe this is a tremendous disservice to some of the lovelist people on the planet.  Additionally we know many friends and relatives who would love to reside in the same neighborhood with a "higher concentration" of people with Down Syndrome and other mild developmental setbacks.  They are loving, gentle, giving people who embellish our lives, not detract from them.

After exhaustive research across the U.S., we discovered a single development that shares this residential objective being established in Louisville, Kentucky, termed ApplePatch located in a new community called Celebration Park.  We applaud the vision.

We are privileged to participate in advocating for this exciting new phase in residential options for these special people.

GLADS will endeavor to provide helpful links, support, and resources for those interesting in assisting people who have Down Syndrome and other developmental setbacks, looking to establish new residential alternatives.

The GLADS website is hosted generously by Mission Consulting (http://mission-consulting.net/).