Spotswood sorely lacking in services for disabled

Iam writing to respond to comments made by local officials at a recent Borough Council meeting and referenced in staff writer Vincent Todaro's article "Resident: More Services Are Needed for Disabled" (Sentinel, Aug. 7).

At the meeting I vocalized a request for programs and services for Spotswood's disabled residents. In response to my request, council President Curtis Stollen remarked, "We try to offer what we can." But currently there is not one thing that Spotswood offers to people living with challenging disabilities. In fact, Spotswood suffers from a complete lack of services — e.g., transportation, housing, recreation programs — for disabled individuals, and it was my hope at the meeting to bring this need to light and begin discussion about ways to address it.

If there are services offered by Spotswood that I and other parents of disabled adults are not aware of, I urge Mr. Stollen to advise us what these services are and how to apply for them. Advertise, send fliers to our homes, write a letter to the Sentinel, but above all, let us know what programs Spotswood offers for the disabled, and we will take advantage of them.

Furthermore, Mr. Stollen's suggestions that parents of disabled adults seek out badly needed services from local houses of worship is entirely inadequate. Programs for the disabled are exactly the kinds of services that should be offered or arranged by local government.

Disabled individuals are as much citizens of our communities as anyone else and should not be denied basic rights of mobility, reliable housing and social interaction because of the bumbling inability of our elected officials to provide for or coordinate such services. Tax dollars that we pay to local government should be applied directly toward the creation of programs for the disabled, not funneled to local houses of worship that may be incapable of providing anything more than a weekly juice-and-cookies get-together for the area's disabled individuals.

We need programs that will truly assist disabled individuals in leading more independent lives: transportation assistance to help take individuals to work, doctor appointments and friends and relatives; and sports and recreation programs to help keep disabled individuals fit and active and allow them to make friends. Currently, Spotswood does not offer a sliver of any such assistance to the disabled, and it would be wise to at least start thinking of ways to address the situation.

Local officials have cited a "tight budget" for Spotswood's lack of services, with Mr. Stollen noting, "There's only so much we can do." There is, in fact, nothing that is being done for people with challenging disabilities, and the Spotswood budget has never addressed the funding of services for such individuals. Furthermore, Mr. Stollen's remark is dismissive and insulting, as it suggests that people with disabilities are at the lowest rung of concern for our elected officials. "We can't be everything to everyone," Mr. Stollen said. Well, it would be nice if our elected officials made an effort to do something for the individuals in our community who truly need the most help.

Terry Dunn

Spotswood