Arizona has a large community of individuals with developmental disabilities. This can include: Autism, Asperger's, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc. In Arizona we have a state department that's a subdivision of the Department of Economic Security called the DDD, or the Division of Developmental Disabilities. They oversee the cases for our state residents that have some sort of developmental disabilities. These disabilities can be just be physical, mental, or both.

A lot of our clients who get state care through DDD go to a type of daycare called Daytime Assistance Programs or for short, Day Programs. We provide educational opportunities, community outings, and other forms of enrichment for these individuals throughout the week. In my city alone we have several different day programs that oversee a lot of clients.

Despite the state closing schools, nothing has been done to address the individuals that go to these day programs throughout the state of Arizona. I have emailed Senators, I have emailed House Reps, the Governor, and have received no responses back.

If the state government feels they need to close the schools for the safety of the community then they also need to close the daytime assistance programs. A lot of our clients have other medical conditions that place them at an increased risk if they were to get sick with COVID19. We need to close these programs for as long as the schools are closed. People will die if we don't.