Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 1.djvu/312

 108 STAT. 286 PUBLIC LAW 103-230—APR. 6, 1994 "(4) there is a lack of public awareness of the capabilities and competencies of individuals with developmental disabilities; "(5) individuals whose disabilities occur during their developmental period frequently have severe disabilities that are likely to continue indefinitely; "(6) individuals with developmental disabilities often require hfelong specialized services and assistance, provided in a coordinated and culturally competent manner by many agencies, professionals, advocates, community representatives, and others to eliminate barriers and to meet the needs of such individuals and their famihes; "(7) a substantial portion of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families do not have access to appropriate support and services from generic and specialized service systems and remain unserved or underserved; "(8) family members, friends, and members of the community can play an important role in enhancing the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, especially when the family and community are provided with the necessary services and supports; "(9) there is a need to ensure that services, supports, and other assistance are provided in a cultursdly competent manner, that individuals from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds are fully included in all activities under this Act, and that greater efforts are made to recruit individuals from minority backgrounds into the field of developmental disabilities; and "(10) the goals of the Nation properly include the goal of providing individuals with developmental disabilities with the opportunities and support to— "(A) make informed choices and decisions; "(B) live in homes and communities in which such individuals can exercise their full rights and responsibilities as citizens; "(C) pursue meaningful and productive lives; "(D) contribute to their family, community. State, and Nation; "(E) have interdependent friendships and relationships with others; and "(F) achieve full integration and inclusion in society, in an individugJized manner, consistent with unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, and capabilities of each individual. "(b) PURPOSE. — The purpose of this Act is to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of and have access to culturally competent services, supports, and other assistance and opportunities that promote independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion into the community, through— "(1) support to State Developmental Disabilities Councils in each State to promote, through systemic change, capacity building, and advocacy activities that are consistent with the policy under subsection (c)(2), a consumer and fEunily-centered, comprehensive system, and a coordinated array of services, supports, and other assistance for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families;

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