The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities, under the leadership of Director Jim DeBeaugrine, has shown clients admirable compassion by suspending a controversial cost-reduction program. The agency is considering revamping how it funds services. ...more

January 2, 2009

With thousands of developmentally disabled Floridians and their families protesting cuts to their services, the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities is talking about overhauling its programs. ...more

December 22, 2008

SEBRING — Daily diaper changes are just a small sample of the amount of work it takes to raise two middle-aged adult siblings who suffer from severe Cerebral Palsy and have the mental makeup of 8-month-old babies. Scott Lukaszewski, 41, and his sister, Jill, 38, have fought hard against the odds and lived relatively healthy lives, even though they do virtually nothing on their own. And although the siblings cannot speak for themselves, according to their father, the Florida Legislature has decided that budget deficit issues will come before their personal care. On Sept. 26, Mike Lukaszewski, 66, received a letter from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities- State of Florida, which said that each child he cared for would be getting a two hour per day cut in personal care assistance per month. The care each sibling would get was now going from 212 hours per month to 180. ...more

October 7, 2007