Advocating with and on behalf of people with developmental and other disabilities and their families.

California
Alliance
for 
Inclusive Communities, Inc.
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The Community Imperative

Declaration

 

The Community Imperative declaration was issued , in 1979, by the Center on Human Policy, Syracuse University in response to a backlash against the growing national movement towards community inclusion.

 

The declaration was endorsed at that time by many of the leading figures in the developmental disabilities field, both nationally and in California.  The declaration established community living as a fundamental human right.

 

In 1999, the Center on Human Policy re-issued the declaration in response to another backlash against the continuing success of community advocates. In many states, especially California, public policy and disability advocacy lacked clear direction and commitment.  The Community Imperative once more challenged individuals and organizations to take a stand and recognize community living as a human right. 

 

CAIC made that commitment and played a leading role in furthering the Community Imperative as a fundamental principle of disability advocacy. 

Now nearly all major statewide organizations in California have endorsed the declaration, including the major provider and consumer-based advocacy organizations and several cross disability groups. 

 

List of California organizational endorsers

List of national organizational endorsers

More information on the Community Imperative

Endorse the Community Imperative

 

The Community Imperative

1979

 

A Refutation of All Arguments

in Support of Institutionalizing Anybody

Because of Mental Retardation

 

In the domain of Human Rights:

 

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All people have fundamental moral and constitutional rights;

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These rights must not be abrogated merely because a person has a mental or physical disability.

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Among these fundamental rights is the right to community living.

 

In the domain of Educational Programming and Human Services:

 
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All people, as human beings, are inherently valuable;

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All people can grow and develop;

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All people are entitled to conditions which foster their development;

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Such conditions are optimally provided in community settings.

 

Therefore:

 

In fulfillment of fundamental human rights and in securing optimum developmental opportunities, all people, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, are entitled to community living.

 
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