People Inc.

BUFFALO, N.Y, September 12, 2006: People Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer James M. Boles, Ed.D. was selected by President George W. Bush to sit on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID). Congressmember Thomas Reynolds (R), Clarence, nominated Dr. Boles.

The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID), formerly The President's Committee on Mental Retardation (PCMR), is a federal advisory committee, established to advise the President of the United States and the Secretary of The Department of Health and Human Services on issues concerning citizens with intellectual disabilities, coordinate activities between different federal agencies and assess the impact of their policies upon the lives of citizens with intellectual disabilities and their families.

The Committee produces an annual report to the President which is the product of members of the Committee resulting from a variety of conferences. All Committee activities include input from self-advocates (consumers receiving services), family members, professionals, researchers, service providers, state agency leaders, and direct support professionals.

“I am honored to receive this appointment by the President and most grateful to Congressman Reynolds for recognizing the importance of developmental and intellectual disability issues,” said Boles who has headed People Inc. since 1981.

“As one of only twenty-one members, and the only representative from New York State, this gives People Inc. and all of the parents and providers the opportunity to influence policies in Washington affecting people that are developmentally disabled,” said Congressman Reynolds.

“We are in the midst of celebrating our 35th anniversary this year,” said People Inc. Board of Directors Chairperson Georgiana Jungels. “To think we were started by a group of concerned parents 35 years ago and now will be involved at this level is truly extraordinary,” added Jungels. “We welcome the opportunity to work with others across the country.”

The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities was initially organized as a blue ribbon Panel by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Kennedy had a sister that was mentally retarded and the Kennedy family is well known for the creation of the Special Olympics. In 1966, under an Executive Order by President Lyndon B. Johnson the commission was formally established as a Committee. In 1974, new goals for the Committee focusing on deinstitutionalization, prevention and legal rights were established by President Nixon. In 1996, a new set of goals for the Committee encouraging full community inclusion and citizens’ rights were created by President William Jefferson Clinton.

On February 1, 2001, President Bush announced the creation of the New Freedom Initiative (NFI). The initiative is a nationwide effort to remove barriers to community living for people of all ages with disabilities and long-term illnesses. Boles said, “In the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of individuals with disabilities,” this initiative supports states’ efforts to meet the goals of the Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court decision issued in July 1999 that requires states to administer services, programs, and activities.

“From a policy setting standpoint, what happens in places like Washington and Albany has a major impact on people with intellectual disabilities,” added Reynolds. “Employment, healthcare, and self sufficiency are things a lot of us face but especially those with a disability.”

Dr. Boles will officially start his responsibilities this week when he is in Washington, D.C. for an inaugural meeting. “I look forward to using my position on the PCPID Committee as a voice for parents, consumers and our workforce,” said Boles.

It is estimated that between seven and eight million Americans of all ages, or three percent of the general population, experience intellectual disabilities. Nearly 30 million, or one in ten families in the United States, are directly affected by a person with intellectual disabilities at some point in their lifetime. Intellectual disabilities present a major challenge to the social, educational, health, and economic systems within the United States.

For more information on Dr. Boles’ appointment, visit www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases. For more information on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, visit www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/pcpid/pcpid_about.html.

People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 10,000 people with special needs, their families, and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity.

Kevin Horrigan
Public Affairs Director
Direct Line: (716) 817-7475
Cellular: (716) 866-5893