Chairperson
Executive Director
Contact Information
NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council99 Washington Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite 1230
Albany, New York 12210
Phone: 800.395.3372
FAX: 518.402.3505
Email: Email Us
Upcoming DDPC Meetings
Childrens' Issues Committee MeetingNo meetings scheduled for this period.
Systems Committee Meeting:
No meetings scheduled for this period.
Adult Issues Committee Meeting:
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Time: 9AM - 3PM
Location: NYS DDPC
99 Washington Ave, Suite #1230 (12th Floor)
Albany, NY 12210
For more information, please contact the NYS DDPC at 1.800.395.3372
*** Notice ***
Open Government and the New York State Developmental
Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC).
All DDPC meetings are held in
Albany, NY unless otherwise noted. Under law, the New York State
Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) meetings and DDPC
Standing Committee meetings are open meetings. If the public wants
to attend, they can attend as observers. Participants may be asked
to leave during breaks in the deliberations and when the meeting
goes into executive session.
For more information, please contact the DDPC directly at
1.800.395.3372.
People First Language
The DDPC strictly adheres to and encourages the use of people first language. However you may note that in some articles/stories appearing in the E-Bulletin the language used is not always entirely people first. Articles submitted to the DDPC are taken verbatim from the source and are therefore not edited by the DDPC for correct people first language due to copyright restrictions.
NYACTS is a website designed to provide current information on New York State services and supports for individuals with autism. Autism is on the rise in New York State and around the country. It is estimated that more than 60,000 New York State residents have a diagnosis of autism or autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and that the incidence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade. New York State government needs to be united in its efforts to respond to these dramatic statistics. The formation of the Interagency Task Force on Autism has helped to ensure that state agencies are working together to assist individuals and families struggling with ASD.
Governor Cuomo Announces Launch of Statewide Alert System for Missing Vulnerable Adults
Below is the press release discussing the new statewide public
notification system designed to locate missing vulnerable adults.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of a statewide
alert system that will help find vulnerable adults who become lost.
The "Missing Adult Alerts" system, similar to the nationwide Amber
Alert program, will assist local law enforcement officials in
notifying communities when a cognitively impaired New Yorker goes
missing.
"The Missing Adults Alert system will help law enforcement find
elderly and impaired New Yorkers who become lost and get them home
safely," Governor Cuomo said. "This system has saved lives regarding
missing children, and now it will provide the same assistance when
it comes to finding vulnerable adults."
Adults with cognitive disorders, mental disabilities, or brain
injuries can experience disorientation and confusion, which often
leads to wandering. Lost adults are rarely aware of the danger they
may be exposed to and are often unable to ask for help. According to
the Alzheimer's Association, more than 60 percent of Alzheimer
sufferers will wander and 50 percent are at risk of serious harm, or
even death, if not located within 24 hours.
Governor Cuomo signed a new law in July that created the
notification system to provide rapid public dissemination of
information regarding adults with dementia, Alzheimer's, or other
cognitive impairments who go missing. The same tools the state's
Missing Persons Clearinghouse and State Police use to issue an AMBER
Alert to find missing children will now be activated for missing
vulnerable adults. Those tools include distribution of posters, a
toll-free twenty-four hour hotline, and partnerships with local
broadcasters for quick dissemination of information. Anyone
interested in receiving these alerts may also sign up to receive
them through the NY-ALERT system at
www.nyalert.gov.
Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Elizabeth Glazer said, "Each
year, hundreds of adult New Yorkers wander away from home and spend
hours lost, often unbeknownst to the people passing them by. This
new law signed by Governor Cuomo will help our law enforcement get
the word out about missing adults and empower New Yorkers to be on
the lookout for people in their neighborhoods who may need police
assistance."
Senator John Defrancisco said, "With this new Missing Adult Alert
system, New York will be better able to protect vulnerable adults
from the tragedies that can happen when they mistakenly wander away
from home. Several years ago here in Syracuse, a woman with
Alzheimer's left her home late at night and traveled all the way to
Connecticut, placing herself in harm's way. I commend Governor Cuomo
for signing the bill that enacted this program into law."
Assemblyman William Magnarelli said, "New York State today is
launching an important new system to locate missing senior citizens
with cognitive impairments and return them to their homes. This
program should give families of vulnerable adults reassurance that
the state is ready to help if a loved one should go missing. I thank
Governor Cuomo for his efforts to get this program off the ground
and running."
Catherine James, Coalition Co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of
the Alzheimer's Association Central New York Chapter, said, "The
Coalition of New York State Alzheimer's Association Chapters is
thrilled that the Missing Vulnerable Adult Alert system has been
established within the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and
would like to thank Governor Cuomo and the Division for their
leadership in implementing the new alert. As the leading advocacy
and support organization for Alzheimer's disease, the Coalition has
actively pursued creating this alert for many years. This system
will provide greater peace of mind to the more than 330,000 New York
families touched by this disease."
David L. Donovan, President New York State Broadcasters Association,
said, "We applaud the creation of the Missing Vulnerable Adult
program. Radio and television stations throughout New York have
helped make the AMBER alert program a tremendous success. Creating a
similar alert system for missing vulnerable adults will save lives.
Broadcasters across the state look forward to working with law
enforcement and the Missing Persons Clearinghouse to help implement
this important alert program."
Colonie Police Department Chief Steven Heider, who is a member of
the New York State Amber Alert Partners, representing the
Association of Chiefs of Police, said, "From a police department's
point of view, this change in how we treat vulnerable adults will
hopefully lead to much quicker resolutions, in the ever increasing
incidents of missing person. In our very mobile society there is a
much greater risk that these individuals will be traveling by
vehicle, which only makes the availability of the tools provided by
the passage of this legislation that much more necessary for the
safe return of our missing loved ones."
Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith, who is a member of the New
York State Amber Alert Partners, representing the New York State
Sheriffs' Association, said, "We strongly support and thank Governor
Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for enacting this
important legislation which extends the same kind of protection of
the Amber Alert Program in helping us receive the assistance of the
public in locating vulnerable missing adults with cognitive
impairments. The law enforcement community strives to serve all of
our citizens; however, it is important to provide special support
for our most vulnerable populations - our youth and our vulnerable
adults. This legislation allows us to provide vulnerable adults the
same kind of immediate response and public alert system that we now
provide to missing children."
Ninety-five percent of people who go missing because they suffer
from a cognitive impairment are found within a quarter mile from
their home or the place where they were last seen. New Yorkers who
encounter a missing person, or believe they have identified a
vehicle mentioned in a Missing Person Alert, should immediately call
911.
To view this press release visit:
http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/07252011AlertSystem