Living with a disability, in a caring setting

By Bradford Wood, Bethesda

The Jan. 24 Metro article “Virginia anticipates sharp criticism over disabled” presented a faceless, one-sided viewpoint, nebulously referring to “civil rights” issues that supposedly favor deinstitutionalization but missing the actual lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens.

My sister has mental retardation, cerebral palsy, seizures, and no motor control or ability to speak, but she loves her existence and spends most of her hours smiling because of the quality care and love she has received for more than 40 years at a state institution for those with mental disabilities. But Virginia is now considering sending its most vulnerable citizens out into the “community,” or even closing those institutions, where oversight is at least attainable.

Tough decisions require consideration of all the facts and a broad perspective, something I usually expect from The Post.