National disability advocate to present at Mt. St. Joseph Autumn Leaves event

Julie Huso, executive director of VOR, a national organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will speak at the Mt. St. Joseph annual Autumn Leaves Luncheon Sunday, Oct. 7, at the Meadows Club.

VOR advocates for high quality care and human rights for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the country. Mt. St. Joseph, a private facility in Lake Zurich, is home to more than 125 women with developmental disabilities. Its family group, a VOR affiliate, arranged for the presentation and a VOR exhibit.

Huso, who has served as VOR’s executive director for nearly five years and has worked as a disability advocate for more than 25 years, will speak about national disability trends.

“Like so many facets of our lives, the economy is impacting the care received by people with intellectual disabilities,” Huso said. “Individuals in all settings, and their families, face service cuts, late payments, and cost shifting. Mt. St. Joseph residents and other individuals in Illinois and across the country who receive life-sustaining services in facility-settings face an especially uncertain future.”

In her presentation, Huso will touch on trends which are impacting people’s lives, including an effort by advocates and governments to close places like Mt. St. Joseph in favor of smaller, often unlicensed settings.

“Ideology and budget cuts often trump common sense and result in the closure of these good programs. Families are the most informed and should be the primary decision-makers. Working together, families can be an effective voice and counter harmful trends,” Huso said.

The Autumn Leaves Luncheon begins at noon, at the Meadows Club, in Rolling Meadows. More information is available at the Mt. St. Joseph’s website, at www.mtstjosephhome.com. Information about VOR is available at www.vor.net.