Excerpt from: The Seattle Times (click for full article)
RECENT findings about Washington’s failures to protect individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities suggest our state has fallen woefully short in a fundamental litmus test of how society should support its most vulnerable citizens.
Most recently, the state’s failure to protect these individuals was highlighted in a report, “Too Little Too Late,” by Disability Rights Washington.
In an alarming case cited in the report, professional caregivers reported seeing a co-worker stomp on a client’s genitals. After the incident was reported, it took a week before an investigation by the state Department of Social and Health Services began. The department allowed the caregiver to continue working.
Almost one-third of backlogged complaints were closed without any investigation at all, according to the report.
The inaction by our state government when people are reportedly abused, neglected, exploited and sexually assaulted is deeply distressing.
The state must strengthen its investigations of abuse and neglect and fund timely and thorough investigations. Immediate action should be taken.
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