DISABILITY INTEL: Texas State School Deaths Spark Protests

Thursday, December 11, 2008

AUSTIN, Texas— Protesters gathered at a Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) board meeting yesterday to demonstrate against alleged mistreatment of state school residents who have disabilities, including intellectual disabilities. Wearing shirts with the number 53 on them and chanting “Shame on you” and “53 deaths on your watch”, the protesters disrupted the meeting for about 10 minutes, until security personnel escorted them out. The protesters belong to an Community Now, an advocacy group. According to the Austin-American Statement, “A federal Department of Justice report released last week found at least 53 patients in Texas' large residential facilities died in 2007 from preventable conditions that were often the result of lapses in care.” Since 2004, the state has terminated or suspended over 800 employees for mistreating consumers.

SOURCES:

Protesters disrupt meeting about Texas' state schools for the disabled.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-stateschools_11tex.ART.State.Edition1.4ac8359.html

Protesters disrupt state meeting

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6157643.html

Protesters disrupt state council meeting, angry about conditions at state schools

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2008/12/10/protesters_disrupt_state_counc.html

(INCLUDES VIDEO of Protest)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-stateschools_25tex.ART.State.Edition2.42b6d15.html

http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-07-31/news/texas-woman-fights-abuse-at-the-state-s-schools-for-the-mentally-retarded/