Letter: Maine lawmakers must work to prevent future atrocities against people with disabilities

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In September, the BDN ran four stories about horrific physical, sexual, and emotional abuse allegedly delivered by four paid staff hired to care for two men in their twenties who have severe intellectual disabilities and are nonverbal. The abuse allegedly went on for three years while the men lived in a Hampden residential home run by Lee Residential Care. Both men’s parents were involved in their sons’ lives and connected regularly with the agency who employed and supervised these staff — but nonverbal adults with severe disabilities cannot tell their families when something terrible is happening to them.

On Oct. 4, the BDN featured an excellent opinion column written by three sets of parents whose adult children with intellectual disabilities are waiting for comprehensive services. These families have been active, reasonable advocates for Mainers with disabilities, people who have served on numerous task forces and stakeholder groups. The questions they raise about this shocking abuse are important questions that must be answered.

I too am a parent of a beloved adult child who has intellectual disabilities. I believe Maine’s legislators have two important roles in preventing such atrocities in the future: One, monitoring the upcoming work of state regulatory agencies in developing additional protections, improving supervision, and establishing cross-checks; and two, insisting that families and guardians be actively included in policy-making when state entities work to develop systemic changes across agencies.

Janet Hamel
Bar Harbor