We are asking people inside and outside our organization to help us celebrate 20 years of Values Into Action. When thinking about who to ask, Val Bradley came to mind right away.
Val Bradley is a leader in disability services and supports. Without her and her team’s work in research, analysis, and policy, the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) system in the United States wouldn’t be as strong as it is today. As the founder and president emeritus of the Human Research Institute (HSRI), Val has made the world a better place.
I am humbled and grateful to share Val’s statement recognizing the work of Values Into Action. She believed in our work early on and invited me to share our experiences with others. This helped Values Into Action get recognized and gave people with disabilities a chance to share their stories. They could show how they control their services and make choices about where to live, what career to pursue, who to date, and how to spend their time.
We thank Val and the HSRI organization for all they have done and for guiding organizations like Values Into Action with the best information available.
Val Bradley shares about Values Into Action:
I have known the work of Values in Action for many years and I am continually impressed with their commitment to self-determination and empowerment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While most of the national provider community was still tied to legacy residential and day services, Values Into Action created an individually tailored approach to the provision of support that respected individual choice. Values Into Action was person centered before person centered became a popular catch phrase in our field. People that are supported by Values Into Action participate in hiring their own staff and have choice over where they live.
At Human Services Research Institute (HRSI), we have spotlighted Marian’s leadership at Values Into Action and her work to make self-direction a reality in her agency. Finally, Values Into Action as one of the founding members of the Collaborative for Citizen Directed Support NJ, has been an innovator and has received national recognition from the Administration on Community Living (ACL) on the Collaborative’s Interactive Map a site that matches potential support staff to people looking for staff.
Values Into Action stands as a model for how to give people with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) agency in their lives.
Valerie Bradley
We are proud to have had opportunities to collaborate with Val over the years. You can learn more about Val and her many contributions to the disability service system here.