GROUP OF PEOPLE THEY SAY ARE OFTEN INVISIBLE. MARCH IS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH, AND THERE’S GROWING CONCERN TONIGHT. THIS COMMUNITY IS NOT GETTING THE HELP IT NEEDS. BILL O’NEILL HAS OUR STORY. AS MANY AS A BILLION PEOPLE EXPERIENCE SOME FORM OF INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, YET ADVOCATES SAY MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY ARE OFTEN NOT VALUED AND NOT COUNTED. DISABILITIES AFFECTING HOW SOMEONE LEARNS OR DEVELOPS SOCIALLY CAN LAST A LIFETIME. THEY INCLUDE CONDITIONS SUCH AS AUTISM, DOWN SYNDROME, AND CEREBRAL PALSY. EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WITH THIS CONDITION AND YET THIS POPULATION REMAINS LARGELY INVISIBLE IN THE WAY THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS IN HEALTH CARE, IN EMPLOYMENT, IN SCHOOLING, IN HOUSING. THE HEAD OF A NATIONAL NONPROFIT THAT PROMOTES HEALTH CARE FOR THE DISABLED. SAYS THE COMMUNITY IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO IDENTIFY SOMEONE WHO’S AUTISTIC, SOMEONE WHO HAS INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY ISN’T ALWAYS OBVIOUS. SO THAT’S ONE PROBLEM THAT CONTRIBUTE TO INVISIBILITY. BUT THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS HOW TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT HELPING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, WHICH IS DETERMINED BY THE CENSUS. ADVOCATES SAY PROPOSED PLANS TO CHANGE HOW THE CENSUS COUNTS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES COULD REDUCE THEIR NUMBER BY AS MUCH AS 40%. IT WOULD HAVE MADE THIS POPULATION EVEN MORE INVISIBLE, AND THAT HAS REAL LIFE IMPACTS ON THE WAY THAT GOVERNMENT CHOOSES TO SPEND MONEY ON INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING OR HEALTH CARE OR THE WAY EMPLOYERS THINK ABOUT HOW BIG A PROBLEM THIS IS FOR THEIR WORKERS. THE PROPOSED CHANGE HAS BEEN DELAYED, BUT ADVOCATES SAY THE THREAT OF UNDERCOUNTING THE DISABLED REMAINS. THEY HAVE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES. THEY HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT CAN HELP INFORM HOW WE DESIGN HEALTH CARE, HOW WE DESIGN HOUSING, HOW WE DESIGN EDUCATION. THEY ARE PASSIONATE, THEY HAVE SPECIAL TALENTS AND SPECIAL INTERESTS, AND THEY HAVE, UM, A VERY DEEP EMPATHY FOR OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THEM. PRESIDENT REAGAN DECLARED MARCH AS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH BACK IN 1987. HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO RECOGNIZE BOTH THE POTENTIAL AS WELL AS THE NEEDS OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES IN GREENSBORO. I’M BI