Arizona Tops 50-State Ranking Of Disability Services

Via United Cerebal Palsy:

Arizona’s Medicaid program provides the best services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to a national ranking released Wednesday.

The annual list produced by United Cerebral Palsy compares services and quality of life for people with disabilities all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Arizona, Michigan, California, New Hampshire and Vermont came in at the top of the list this year.  Meanwhile, for the sixth year in a row, Mississippi was dead last, with Illinois, Arkansas and Texas rounding out the low performers. (Find out where your state stands »)

The analysis looks at a number of factors including the way people with disabilities live and participate in their communities in each state, how satisfied people are with their lives and how easily they are able to access services and supports.  The latest ranking is based primarily on data from 2010, the most recent available. Even though some states outperformed others in the ranking, those behind the report caution that all states have room for improvement. They point out that 268,000 Americans with disabilities are currently on waiting lists for Medicaid waivers which would allow them to receive home and community based services.  On a positive note, however, the analysis found that in 36 states at least 80 percent of residents with developmental disabilities are now being served in the community.