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ND 'doing well' in placing developmentally disabled people into the community

The executive director of the North Dakota Council on Developmental Disabilities says North Dakota has done a good job of moving people with those issues out of institutions and into community settings.

Cheryl Hess says the state’s goal is to have more people with disabilities living in their communities.

"I'm on a human rights committee for the Bismarck-Mandan area, and one of the things we look at is what are the least-restrictive things we could put in place to allow someone to live in place, instead of living in the state Developmental Center (in Grafton)," said Hess. "Our council's goal is to not have people in institutional settings, but to be in their communities, to be active, to be taxpayers, to be involved."

Hess says there are currently 89 residents at the state Developmental Center. She says communities are helping to provide vocational rehabilitation to help those with disabilities to fit into their communities. Hess says the big problem in getting those people into the community – especially in western North Dakota– is a lack of housing.

"Many of these individuals have fixed, limited incomes," said Hess. "As housing prices are in some places close to $2000 per month for an apartment, they're not even close to making that."

Hess says that means people who call places like Williston and Killdeer home may have to relocate.

"I find that exceptionally frustrating," said Hess. "That's their community. That's what they know. That's where they've grown up. And they may be forced to move."

Hess says solving that problem will take community efforts – and partnerships.

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