YVONNE ABRAHAM’S May 23 column “In the swim of things’’ is understandably heartbreaking for the families she described who feel they don’t have an outlet for their loved ones. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the opportunities that people living with disabilities have when they are receiving supports and services in a community-based setting.
Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents who happen to be disabled are able to take advantage of so many of the things that the rest of us take for granted — fun activities, classes, creative outlets, and athletic and exercise endeavors, including swimming — thanks to a system that began de-institutionalizing large state institutions four decades ago. The process of integrating people with disabilities into their neighborhoods not only removed them from facilities that were rife with neglect and abuse, but wove them into the fabric of their communities.
When Abraham writes about the pool at the Fernald Developmental Center — the state’s largest institution, which is slated for closure this year — she is writing about a segregated facility. Our society proved generations ago that separate but equal is a bad idea that does not work.
My brother has autism and swims three times a week at the pool at his local Jewish community center. The others who go to that pool have accepted him and welcome him warmly every time. He is a part of that community.
Massachusetts and all of its residents deserve no less.
Gary Blumenthal
Sudbury
The writer is the president and CEO of the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, and was recently appointed by President Obama as a member of the National Council on Disability. 
