I find myself struggling with many of the arguments being made in support of Vanguard. Have the reports even been read? After reading the report, what concerns me is that some families seem to be asking for Vanguard to be approved as it is, instead of asking Vanguard to make the changes needed to address the concerns. If families want Vanguard to meet the rules, then they should want Vanguard to change. Defending the current model as-is seems to miss why the concerns were raised in the first place.

If Vanguard truly fixes those concerns, then it becomes a very different conversation. Based on the comments of support, I honestly wonder whether its supporters will like what it becomes if Vanguard makes the changes it needs to make. A true community-based option does not gather people together and keep them separate. What I struggle to understand is why so many families are advocating for a model built around separation. I understand wanting your loved one to be safe. What I don't understand is why we seem to be returning to ideas that generations of people with disabilities and their families worked so hard to move beyond. This seems like an old idea. 

What makes me especially sad is hearing loved ones describe people with disabilities by what they “could never” do. My sister has disabilities and I hope she has the same opportunities I have, not a separate version of life built around disability. I want her to have friends, choices, independence, and a place of her own. Vanguard, as described, does not sound like a place designed to create that kind of experience or somewhere I would want her to live.

My hope is that this process works as intended, that the rules are followed, and that the outcome ultimately creates more opportunities for people with disabilities to belong, contribute, and thrive in their communities.