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Families, advocates push 'Turning 22' bills to shore up adult services for young adults with disabilities
Summary
Witnesses and disability advocates told the Joint Committee on Education that current transition planning leaves many young adults without adult placements at age 22, urging H.752 / S.313 to require earlier planning, stronger data reporting and a statewide commission to coordinate services.
State lawmakers heard emotional testimony on H.752 and S.313, bills that would strengthen transition planning and increase accountability for young adults with disabilities as they move from school-based services into adult systems. Witnesses told the Joint Committee on Education that the current process frequently leaves young people without placements at age 22 and that families face last-minute crises.
Nora Vent, director of government affairs at The Arc of Massachusetts, said the state’s transition process “often fails families” and described cases in which an adult placement was confirmed only weeks before a student’s transition. Vent said…
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