Task Force Related to the Rights of Coloradans with Disabilities: Executive Committee
This task force has completed it's required research for the JBC.
The Colorado General Assembly recently passed HB23-1296 which created a task force to study the rights of Coloradans with disabilities.
The act creates the task force on the rights of Coloradans with disabilities (task force) in the Colorado Civil Rights Commission (CCRC). The task force shall create a minimum of 4 subcommittees to study and make recommendations on specific issues related to persons with disabilities:
- The Rewrite Subcommittee, which must study and make recommendations concerning the various issues related to the rewrite and modernization of the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning civil rights of persons with disabilities;
- The Outdoors Subcommittee, which must study and make recommendations related to the basic accessibility of outdoor spaces for persons with disabilities;
- The Housing Subcommittee, which must study and make recommendations related to the affordability, accessibility, and attainability of housing for persons with disabilities; and
- The Government Subcommittee, which must focus on basic physical and programmatic accessibility within state and local government.
Engage with the Executive Committee of the Task Force
The Task Force wrapped up their work January 2025. For further inquiries, please contact the Colorado Civil Rights Division at the Department or Regulatory Agencies.
The Colorado General Assembly recently passed HB23-1296 which created a task force to study the rights of Coloradans with disabilities.
The act creates the task force on the rights of Coloradans with disabilities (task force) in the Colorado Civil Rights Commission (CCRC). The task force shall create a minimum of 4 subcommittees to study and make recommendations on specific issues related to persons with disabilities:
- The Rewrite Subcommittee, which must study and make recommendations concerning the various issues related to the rewrite and modernization of the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning civil rights of persons with disabilities;
- The Outdoors Subcommittee, which must study and make recommendations related to the basic accessibility of outdoor spaces for persons with disabilities;
- The Housing Subcommittee, which must study and make recommendations related to the affordability, accessibility, and attainability of housing for persons with disabilities; and
- The Government Subcommittee, which must focus on basic physical and programmatic accessibility within state and local government.
Engage with the Executive Committee of the Task Force
The Task Force wrapped up their work January 2025. For further inquiries, please contact the Colorado Civil Rights Division at the Department or Regulatory Agencies.
Share your story and ideas
Please feel free to share your personal story with us, your ideas, recommendations or guidance that can help inform the Task Force recommendations.
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What defines accessibility?
by Margherita, about 1 year agoI am a disabled person with limited mobility but am able to get around without assistance device. My apartment is having repairs done in the floors. My landlord advised that one piece of furniture would need to be moved to complete repairs. Today I can mine home to find they moved furniture from multiple rooms and placed most of it in the hallway restricting my access to my bedroom, where they told me to keep my pets for the day, and my bathroom. They also put furniture in front of the closet where I keep my medications. Do I have... Continue readingI am a disabled person with limited mobility but am able to get around without assistance device. My apartment is having repairs done in the floors. My landlord advised that one piece of furniture would need to be moved to complete repairs. Today I can mine home to find they moved furniture from multiple rooms and placed most of it in the hallway restricting my access to my bedroom, where they told me to keep my pets for the day, and my bathroom. They also put furniture in front of the closet where I keep my medications. Do I have any legal recourse here? What are my rights in this situation? I did ask for accommodations prior to today and was told I would have “full access to my apartment” at 4:30 pm. -
Share Durango Does it Dirty.... and its beginning to feel a lot like "HATE CRIMES" on Facebook Share Durango Does it Dirty.... and its beginning to feel a lot like "HATE CRIMES" on Twitter Share Durango Does it Dirty.... and its beginning to feel a lot like "HATE CRIMES" on Linkedin Email Durango Does it Dirty.... and its beginning to feel a lot like "HATE CRIMES" link
Durango Does it Dirty.... and its beginning to feel a lot like "HATE CRIMES"
by C. Pre., about 1 year agoDISCLOUSURE : I am currently in my second round of applying for SSDI; of which I am currently awarded 248.00 cash benefits thru the A.N.D. guidelines; having to yet again, begin the slow, tedious process from scratch.
I have sat here, alone and on the streets for the better part of 5 years... whining and complaining with every fiber of my existence over the injustices I've both witnessed and experienced whilst living in Durango Colorado. It isn't so much the port a potty's being locked up with padlocks and chains (in an attempt to keep homeless people from falling asleep... Continue readingDISCLOUSURE : I am currently in my second round of applying for SSDI; of which I am currently awarded 248.00 cash benefits thru the A.N.D. guidelines; having to yet again, begin the slow, tedious process from scratch.
I have sat here, alone and on the streets for the better part of 5 years... whining and complaining with every fiber of my existence over the injustices I've both witnessed and experienced whilst living in Durango Colorado. It isn't so much the port a potty's being locked up with padlocks and chains (in an attempt to keep homeless people from falling asleep in them, I guess???), nor the repeated harassment and amount of phone calls the privileged members of this community will place with the police the second someone whom appears "dirty and strung out on drugs" gets within arms reach. I have been LIED TO and CHEATED by local businesses so many times, I have no other recourse but to file an additional complaint with the BBB; as the COLORADO GIFT CARD LAW doesn't seem to apply down here in the 81301. NOT ONCE IN FIVE YEARS HAS ANY BUSINESS honored the law, which states that any gift card with a remaining balance of 5.00 or less may receive cash upon request. Five years is a long time to study something so "outwardly unimportant: as a mere 5.00 in cash.... unless that is, every single business in town is NOT FOLLLOWING the rules when it comes to behaviors they seem to apply and command at a moments notice. Oh and then there is the whole "conspiracy' theory that being followed through the grocery store and tracked like a wild hog is supposed to be....what...comfortable? I mean, it only happens constantly, because WE HAVE NO VOICE OUT HERE AND THE CITY OF DURANGO makes SURE WE experience suffering, some peoples disability causing them to shut down completely through the "extermination" of voucher rights mere days after their approval. With the opioid settlement funds being dispersed here in La Plata County, I have seen approx 6-7 people receive a voucher, only to be placed in one specific location: The Spanish Trails, which is predominately known for its heavy drug using population. Once approved, the tenant must enter into an agreement that if they have company, they will be kicked out. If they smoke a cigarette inside, they will be kicked out...but if you smoke a cigarette outside your room past 10pm, you will be considered a drug user and reported the same day. However, after I spent 16-17 hours cleaning the most recent persons room prior to her eviction, which originally had a vacate day THE SAME DAY SHE WAS TOLD TO LEAVE... I haven't EVER heard of someone being served eviction papers and forced to relocate during the same day. I do however, REMEMBER EVERY SINGLE LAST DETAIL of every single action committed against myself, which has left me spending months behind bars; the most recent event being when the "walmart task force: cornered me into a row, blocked me in, called the cops, and have me removed for trespassing & banned me from the only walmart here in town for an entire year. I was under so much duress, that I forgot my phone inside..... but the police refused to let me retrieve it mere seconds after they escorted me outside, thus preventing me from doing ANYTHING. I lost my email accounts, passwords, vital information pertaining to SSDI, HOUSING, EBT... the list is as long as the app behind it. TAKING SOMEONES PHONE AND ALL THEIR INFORMATION AND THEN KEEPING IT HOSTAGE should be illegal, especially if that individual is knowingly disabled, correct? Four days later, when I called in a civil standby to ask if lost and found had located my phone, they again...didn't allow me to go inside with them tagging along beside me. The officer instead called my cellphone, WHERE SOME RANDOM WOMAN answers MY PHONE and proceeds to convince the cop that I was attempting to steal her identity; and the cop ends the conversation, looks at me and says..."well there ya have it. You just gave me the wrong phone number. Good luck." Thing is... I didn't steal or borrow anything from walmart on the day in question; I was merely getting anxious waiting for my medication refills. The most important one however, is back in OCT of 2024: two days after my 42nd birthday, (Stephen Goupil, Preston Reed, Dilon McCarthy, & Barbara Jean Hodge...ALL ACTUAL NAMES of those whom blatantly robbed me despite having known I WAS ON ACTIVE / PENDING STATUS with disability, stole my brand new ATT 5g post paid cell phone, had me illegally evicted from my apartment, of which the landlord of THE FOUR WINDS HOTEL, whose name is SHELTON... never served me an eviction notice, never had me sign anything, threatened to call the police on me if i showed back up, KEPT ALL MY WORLDY POSSESSIONS & EVERY DOLLAR OF MY DEPOSIT... and then refused me to come gather my mail, but looked the other way when the remaining pieces of mail I had, were taken by other tenants and opened and used according to their own wishes. IT HAS FELT LIKE PASSIVE AGRESSIVE ATTEMPTED MURDER so many times down here... that now I just feel acclimated to it. Factor in the unfortunate circumstance that when I WAS A JUVENILE... I committed an offense of a sexual nature which didn't stamp me with a conviction until i was in my mid 20's... and now that EVERYONE here in town knows about it, IT HAS BEEN USED AGAINST ME AND EXPLOITED ME into the point of repeated behaviors indicative of HATE. I am working ( pro se ) on a lawsuit, but with no financial assistance at my disposal, its nearly impossible to have my concerns heard, let alone believed. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT SOMEONE OUT THERE IS RECEPTIVE ENOUGH TO CALL ME DIRECTLY SO WE CAN FILL IN THE GAPS AND VALIDATE THAT MY ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THOSE RESPONSIBLE.... are the complete and honest TRUTH. My number is 970 749 5162. Thank you for your concern, hopefully. Signed--- Christopher D. Prewitt -
Share WHY IS MY DISABILITY A BURDEN???? on Facebook Share WHY IS MY DISABILITY A BURDEN???? on Twitter Share WHY IS MY DISABILITY A BURDEN???? on Linkedin Email WHY IS MY DISABILITY A BURDEN???? link
WHY IS MY DISABILITY A BURDEN????
by T.Williams, over 1 year agoI've had epilepsy since the age of 11. I like to think I'm no different than others, but unfortunately, I'm treated differently than others by employers.
While in school for my masters, I suffered a seizure, the instructor asked a student to wheel me into a nearby classroom until I could be retrieved by I.C.E. Employed, I requested accommodations, but my doctor figured out accommodations or not, the room was not safely equipped acceptable for an epileptic or was it a financial burden? Needing special glasses in case of firm alarm, flashing lights.
Later I watched co-workers work overtime when... Continue reading
I've had epilepsy since the age of 11. I like to think I'm no different than others, but unfortunately, I'm treated differently than others by employers.
While in school for my masters, I suffered a seizure, the instructor asked a student to wheel me into a nearby classroom until I could be retrieved by I.C.E. Employed, I requested accommodations, but my doctor figured out accommodations or not, the room was not safely equipped acceptable for an epileptic or was it a financial burden? Needing special glasses in case of firm alarm, flashing lights.
Later I watched co-workers work overtime when I was told overtime wasn't in the budget. This became a toxic work environment; I was experiencing stress, thoughts of depression, and anxiety. I was written up twice for things others were just passed over for. My second write-up was a final warning, meaning they could've fired me for any reason at any time. I constantly walked around worried about what I was doing, how I was doing it. As the anxiety built so did the seizure activity. When I realized my supervisors were causing stress, depression, anxiety, and increased seizure activity, I requested a mental health break with my employer. I was exhibiting signs of burnout, which included decreased motivation, performance, negative thoughts about myself, emotional and mental exhaustion. I was advised by my therapist to take a mental health break and explained this to my employer. Submitting the requested paperwork, I was harassed daily, and a mental health break was denied. My employer "promotes" mental health breaks for employees but does not assist in the process. I went through my Primary Care Physician, who signed and submitted paperwork, a therapist who signed and submitted paperwork, and a neurologist. Because I'm an epileptic, I'm not entitled to mental health breaks? Are seizures the cause of my mental health breakdown or just a burden to my employer? Yes, I've got a disability, but accommodations, work areas, overtime, what have you don't make me a burden. I work hard for my money, like everyone else, if I've become a financial burden to their establishment, just say so and I'll find other employment. But don't mistreat me because of a disability as a ploy to get me out of your establishment.
Teena Williams720-280-1817Epilepsy
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Discrimination by Medical Personnel and Others towards me because of my hearing loss
by AbhorsRudenessTowardsTheDeaf, over 1 year agoI am deaf and wear Bilateral Cochlear Implants. I have worn hearing aids and cochlear implants since the age of 6. Because of my hearing loss, I am continually viewed as being stupid. DEAF DOES NOT EQUAL STUPID!!! I have a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in Information Systems. I have a Master of Engineering degree in Industrial Engineering with a concentration in Information Systems and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity. So I am obviously not stupid! Hearing aids and Cochlear Implants DO NOT give a person "20/20" hearing the way glasses and contacts give a... Continue reading
I am deaf and wear Bilateral Cochlear Implants. I have worn hearing aids and cochlear implants since the age of 6. Because of my hearing loss, I am continually viewed as being stupid. DEAF DOES NOT EQUAL STUPID!!! I have a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in Information Systems. I have a Master of Engineering degree in Industrial Engineering with a concentration in Information Systems and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity. So I am obviously not stupid! Hearing aids and Cochlear Implants DO NOT give a person "20/20" hearing the way glasses and contacts give a person 20/20 vision. During the pandemic, I had at between 20-30 people be mean, rude, and impatient with me because I could not read their lips, because they were wearing face masks. I reported every incidence to an appropriate manager. This included people in a medical setting, and once or twice in an ear doctor's office, and this type of a medical office should at least expect to get patients who have a hearing loss!!! I also went to a medical facility recently to get a mammogram. I could not hear the woman at the main desk and then I moved closer to hear her, and she told me I could hear just fine!!! This was uncalled for!!! I was not rude, nor was I threatening her in any way. She also called a security guard over and would not let me move closer so I could hear her. I also had some professors be rude to me in graduate school when I asked them to repeat. And yes, I did tell them at the beginning of class every term, about my hearing loss and that hearing aids and cochlear implants DO NOT give a person "20/20" hearing the way glasses and contacts give a person 20/20 vision. I am really tired of being treated rudely because I ask someone to repeat. I do not sign, I never learned it. I am oral and I speak. I do not deserve to be treated like a lesser person or stupid just because I have a hearing loss. I deserve the same courtesy and respect that everyone else receives, but because I have a hearing loss, I am continually treated badly and discriminated against time and time again.
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HOA Breach of Fiduciary Duties,
by KKing, over 1 year agoI am an 80-year-old disabled homeowner. The Board’s failure to uphold its fiduciary duties has placed an undue burden on me and my family, which has required a significant expenditure of time and money on our part in seeking a resolution of this dispute. The HOA board, through their attorneys Peter Dauster with Johnson Muffly & Dauster and Bill (William) Short with Altitude Community Law appointed by State Farm Insurance Co. have tried to intimidate us, threaten us with legal action and placing a lien upon our property if we do not stop what they call "harassment". We discovered all... Continue reading
I am an 80-year-old disabled homeowner. The Board’s failure to uphold its fiduciary duties has placed an undue burden on me and my family, which has required a significant expenditure of time and money on our part in seeking a resolution of this dispute. The HOA board, through their attorneys Peter Dauster with Johnson Muffly & Dauster and Bill (William) Short with Altitude Community Law appointed by State Farm Insurance Co. have tried to intimidate us, threaten us with legal action and placing a lien upon our property if we do not stop what they call "harassment". We discovered all the violations and now these bad actors are trying to steal our home away.
So far, the Colorado legislators did nothing to help us, to introduce laws that will help and protect the disabled people. That is the main reason these bad actors think that they are invincible. Check out the link to Altitude Community Law website to see how many HOA liens for sale there are: https://altitude.law/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PublicTrustee-1.pdf
Poor people! Who will provide justice for these victims? Who? Who has the guts and the courage to investigate this Predatory System, backed up by Property Management Companies, CAI (Community Associations Institute), attorneys who are CAI members, etc.? Who?
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A Crisis in the lives of adults with disabilities
by Ethan, over 1 year agoI am a parent of 2 adults with disabilities - one who can live independently with significant supports, and one who requires 24/7 X 365 line-of-sight supervision.
What is the problem? There is a crisis of housing, service and care provision, not only in Colorado, but across these United States. There is high demand, not enough funding, and an infuriating, complex infrastructure that is difficult to impossible to navigate.There is a dangerous shortage of available Host Homes, Direct Service Providers and Caregivers. To become a HHome provider one has to climb mountain of rules, regulations, and restrictions. They don't... Continue reading
I am a parent of 2 adults with disabilities - one who can live independently with significant supports, and one who requires 24/7 X 365 line-of-sight supervision.
What is the problem? There is a crisis of housing, service and care provision, not only in Colorado, but across these United States. There is high demand, not enough funding, and an infuriating, complex infrastructure that is difficult to impossible to navigate.There is a dangerous shortage of available Host Homes, Direct Service Providers and Caregivers. To become a HHome provider one has to climb mountain of rules, regulations, and restrictions. They don't have options for respite for themselves unless they are in crisis. Direct Service Providers are not being paid a living wage. The Day Programs are severely underfunded with regards to reimbursement rates.
We cannot stem demand, it will only increase as we cannot predict how many individuals with disabilities will be born in the future, and a large percentage of current caregivers are aging parents.
More funding, IF we can reduce the complexity and duplication across agencies and implement workable solutions, because the same amount of funding would go farther.
The infrastructure, the system that we are forced to work in can only be changed if the government is willing to champion the effort.
What would help? Listening sessions just like this one on what the highest priority problems are, and suggested solutions. Do a feasibility study on the top one and implement the best option. It would potentially have a beneficial downstream affect on the other issues.
Those of us who live this everyday are the "experts in the field". We can help solve the problems, and you would be the heroes!
Thank you for your time and consideration.
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CRISIS - Who will take care of our daughter when we DIE?
by RVint, over 1 year agoRecently, I had a meeting with a group of parents of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) try to answer the question: Who will take care of our adult child with a disability when we DIE or can longer take care of them? THE SILENCE WAS DEAFENING AS THERE ARE NO GOOD ANSWERS IN COLORADO. The State of Colorado has failed to put a system in place to care for the most fragile and vulnerable people with disabilities with significant support needs.
I am the mother of a young adult woman with Down Syndrome AND Autism. She has a... Continue reading
Recently, I had a meeting with a group of parents of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) try to answer the question: Who will take care of our adult child with a disability when we DIE or can longer take care of them? THE SILENCE WAS DEAFENING AS THERE ARE NO GOOD ANSWERS IN COLORADO. The State of Colorado has failed to put a system in place to care for the most fragile and vulnerable people with disabilities with significant support needs.
I am the mother of a young adult woman with Down Syndrome AND Autism. She has a functioning level of a 3-4 year old and needs constant support and attention. For the past several years, I have been researching where she is going to live and who is going to take care of her when my husband and I die or "retire" from caregiving and I have NOT found any workable solutions in Colorado. I have joined non-profit boards, talked to hundreds of people including HCPF and state legislators, joined a inclusive housing coalition, attended multiple housing conferences, and still have NO answers. It is depressing and scary to think of what is going to happen to our precious daughter when we are not here to care for her!
Due to the Olmstead ruling, people with disabilities are no longer allowed to congregate or live together, it is become much more complex to figure out housing and care for them. It is also more isolating for someone with a disability to live in a home by themselves or with their aging parents without any friends or peers. While living alone with supports works for some people with disabilities, it does NOT work for many who need 24/7 care and supervision.
She recently won a lottery for a Housing Choice Voucher but I cannot figure out how to make it work. She needs several caregivers as burnout is real when you cannot do anything for yourself while watching our daughter. For example, you cannot shower or leave her alone for any length of time as she may decide to elope from the home. The State of Colorado has said that we cannot put locks on our doors as she has the "right" to leave at any time; even though she is a elopement risk and safety risk. So it really requires that you have 2 or more people caregivers living with her. We currently use a team of several people to watch and care for our daughter full-time. For parents, it feels overwhelming to have to staff a home and be the back-up caregiver if anyone calls in sick or quits. We are ALWAYS on-call and have been caregiving since our daughter was born 22 years ago.
Colorado has set up a complex system where Medicaid PASA's (Program Approved Service Agencies) are supposed to provide the services needed for people with disabilities. However, The PASA's rely on parents to find staff as "it is too difficult" to find and retain staff as people can work at a fast food restaurant or gas station and earn a higher rate of pay than working with people with disabilities. As a result, many families are setting up their own PASA's, but that does not solve the program of what happens when the parents die!
Also, the government systems that create affordable housing do not interact with the systems that create wrap-around services such as caregiving and food for people with disabilities. The complexity of these systems is astounding for someone with a high level of intelligence to understand and impossible for someone with an intellectual disability to figure out how to navigate. Again, who navigates these systems when the parents DIE?
The only real answer that we have been given is a to place our "kids" into a Host home which is akin to adult foster care. But this is not a good solution for people who have significant support needs and/or behaviors. If the "host" gets tired of their "client" then they can put them out of their home at any point in time. This lack of stability is a huge problem for people who require stability and predictability in their life. Host Homes are also not closely supervised making them a good environment for abuse and neglect. I have talked to many parents whose adult child has been kicked out of multiple host homes as they are "too difficult". The host home providers just want to care for easy clients.
Today, I found out that 7 former Developmental Pathways group homes are going on the auction block on Oct 30th because they did not have enough funding to pay for staffing for care for the people with disabilities who lived there. When so many people need housing, they are closing group homes and auctioning them off... so depressing! With so many adults living with parents over 60, it is only a matter of time before many of these vulnerable people could be homeless or perhaps many are already homeless.
Mahatma Ghandi reportedly stated that "the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats is most vulnerable members". As a society, we are failing ourselves and our most vulnerable members. We can and MUST do better Colorado. It should not be this hard and complicated. There are too many barriers to creating housing for people with IDD. There needs to be a government level agency dedicated to solving this crisis of HOUSING AND SERVICES; as so many need both a place to live AND someone to take care of them.
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Addressing the Needs of Caregivers of Children with Disabilities**
by Jerrica Thurston, over 1 year agoDear Members of the Colorado Task Force Subcommittees,
I am writing to you as a mother of two children with disabilities and as a community advocate for caregivers on the Western Slope. While the topics addressed by your subcommittees are crucial, I believe they could be more inclusive of the unique challenges faced by caregivers of children with disabilities. These families are often overwhelmed and lack the time and resources to advocate for themselves, yet they face extraordinary hardships beyond typical families.
Before moving to Colorado, I was running a full-time business. However, after relocating, both of my children—aged eight... Continue reading
Dear Members of the Colorado Task Force Subcommittees,
I am writing to you as a mother of two children with disabilities and as a community advocate for caregivers on the Western Slope. While the topics addressed by your subcommittees are crucial, I believe they could be more inclusive of the unique challenges faced by caregivers of children with disabilities. These families are often overwhelmed and lack the time and resources to advocate for themselves, yet they face extraordinary hardships beyond typical families.
Before moving to Colorado, I was running a full-time business. However, after relocating, both of my children—aged eight and 18 months at the time—were diagnosed with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Due to their high needs, I cannot work outside the home, which has significantly strained our family financially. My husband works a full-time job four days a week, with a ten-hour shift and a one-hour commute, leaving me to manage most of our children's care alone.
Each year, we face the constant risk of homelessness due to the high cost of living and our low credit score. Before our children’s diagnoses, we had to rely on credit to meet our basic needs. Now, despite our best efforts, we struggle to get ahead financially. Our income is $52,000, and while we only receive $100 in food assistance for a family of four, we still prioritize paying rent and utilities and providing for our family.
Despite never missing a rent payment, we struggle to find housing due to our credit score. We owned a home for ten years in Texas, but since moving to Colorado, our children have experienced instability, attending multiple schools and living in unsafe areas. Our daughter, who has never known a stable home environment, cannot share a room with her brother due to their different needs, so we require a three-bedroom home. Yet, even when a rental becomes available, there are often ten other applicants ahead of us, and our credit score continues to be a barrier.
Living on the Western Slope, we qualify for respite and homemaker services through disability waivers, but due to staffing shortages, the support we receive is minimal. My physical and mental health are deteriorating, placing an even more significant burden on my husband. Our daughter’s sleep disturbances often require him to wake up at night, adding to the strain on his ability to work. Though it could be done remotely, his job only allows one day of remote work per week. As a result, I am left managing both children alone for much of the day, which profoundly impacts my ability to care for them and myself.
Given these challenges, I would like to propose several considerations for the Task Force that could greatly benefit caregivers of children with disabilities:
1. **Adjust Housing Application Requirements**: Caregivers of children with disabilities should not be penalized for low credit scores, especially when they have proven rental histories. Many of us have fallen into debt due to the overwhelming costs associated with our children’s care. Removing the requirement for a credit score and focusing on landlord references could provide much-needed housing stability for families like mine.
2. **Increase Remote Work Opportunities for Caregivers**: Caregivers should be allowed remote work options where feasible. Studies have shown that remote work can increase productivity, especially for those caring for loved ones with disabilities. This flexibility would reduce the strain on families and allow caregivers to continue working while meeting their children’s needs.
3. **Expand Food Assistance**: Families caring for children with disabilities should receive additional food assistance. The current support we receive is inadequate, especially considering the financial burdens of caring for children with high needs.
4. **Create Housing Vouchers for Families with Children with Disabilities**: Though we applied for a housing voucher, we were not approved, and the waitlist is two years long. More immediate solutions are needed to ensure families with children with disabilities have access to safe and stable housing.
5. **Promote Safer Housing Options for Children with Disabilities**: Many children with intellectual disabilities are non-verbal, prone to elopement, and have difficulty making safe decisions. Families should have safer, more secure housing options in these situations, ensuring their children’s well-being is prioritized.
I appreciate the work that the Colorado Task Force is doing, but I urge you to consider these additional issues that impact so many families. The caregiving community is in crisis, and many caregivers are too overwhelmed to advocate for themselves. I hope these suggestions can spark meaningful changes to better support families like mine who are struggling to survive.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jerrica Thurston
Community Advocate for Caregivers on the Western Slope
Task Force Final Reports
Taskforce Members
Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, Chair
Representative David Ortiz, Vice Chair
Representative Ryan Armagost
Keirstin Beck
Michael Stone
Kathy Hall
Julie Reiskin
Jennifer Harpole
Elizabeth Moran
Executive Committee Meeting Materials
Executive Committee Meeting Videos
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September 2023 Executive Committee Meeting
September 8, 2023
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October 2023 Executive Committee Orientation
October 3, Orientation
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October 2023 Task Force Member Recommendations
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November 2023 Executive Committee Meeting
November 16, 2023
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December 2023 Executive Committee Meeting
December 20, 2023
Task Force Facilitators
Confluence Policy & Strategy Group facilitated and supported the Task Force Related to the Rights of Coloradans with Disabilities. If you would like to be in touch with our organization, please contact us at inquiry@confluencepsg.com.

Task Force Contacts
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