EEDG CURRENT PROJECTS

Working with local Towns and Villages regarding various ADA compliance issues.

Members of EEDG serve on many committees and boards representing the needs and issues of the disabities community presently focusing on:

  • Full and equal access for all through:

  • Implementation of the Readily Achievable section of ADA through inspections by Code Enforcement   Read on...

  • Universal Building Standards incorporation into Town and Village code

  • Elimination of Handicapped parking issues regarding blockage by snow/ice/dumpsters

  • ADA compliance in municipal projects

  • ADA compliance in all parks and recreation facilities and municipal buildings

 
Mental Health project focusing on the unmet needs in the community.  

EEDG has brought together a group of experts in the mental health field that are specifically working on identifying the unmet needs of people with mental health issues and finding solutions that will work on Eastern Long Island.

WE ARE:

  •     Holding community meetings to bring consumers, family members and service providers together to     discuss  and identify unmet needs

  •     Surveying and meeting with local health care providers to identify problems with existing available services

  •     Meeting with governmental officials and those who administer the health care funds and services to represent those who are the recipients of those funds and advocate for changes that will better serve the needs of those with mental health issues


EEDG LONG TERM PROJECTS

Physical Barrier removal

(Elimination of all physical barriers as per ADA) 

Government compliance with ADA

    Insure that all ADA requirements are implemented throughout all facilities and buildings and in all policies and practices

Government enforcement of ADA

  • Insure ADA codes are being enforced

  • Incorporate ADA into local codes

  • Readily Achievable enforcement

  • Compliance with ADA in all schools

  • Meeting with school boards to educate and advocate for full compliance

  • Public education and awareness

  • Providing an office with resources and information to make it easier for individuals and businesses to find whatever they need regarding the ADA and issues facing those with disabilities 

  • Representing individuals unable to resolve compliance issues personally 

  • EEDG has a long successful history of being a voice for people with disabilities. Bringing its expertise and the power of its united supporters and the law to aid in the removal of barriers

Long term Mental Health Project:

EEDG’s focus is to secure adequate, appropriate, affordable and accessible mental health services for people who live on the East End of Long Island.  

For those with an Emergency, we need close by psychiatric care, timely mobile crisis care, or local transportation services to a local facility.

People who are discharged from inpatient facilities encounter great difficulties in finding a psychiatrist who can provide psychopharmacology or a therapist who can provide supportive and preventive counseling. 

 Some providers do not accept health insurance or Medicaid due to low reimbursement and time-consuming paper work.

Many local physicians who provide medications for depression, anxiety, and other challenging problems advise it would be more appropriate for treatment to be provided by a psychiatrist.  

We feel that access to quality mental health care is a significant objective that will benefit our community in many ways, enabling people to become more productive, achieve more self-esteem and lead happier and more satisfying lives.

EEDG Will Continue To Advocate:

    With local, state, and federal entities to increase the access and availability of psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed mental health practitioners and case managers, to raise awareness and search for solutions in regard to insufficient reimbursement methodologies that are now in place and to seek access to other funding sources, to seek innovative and preventive services such as tele-psychiatry, community living rooms, and 24 hour hotline availability including suicide prevention 


EEDG wants to expand our work into the rest of the East End

    Since our inception EEDG has primarily focused our efforts in East Hampton although over the years we have had successes in other towns.  This is mainly due to our limited funding and dependency on volunteers.  With increased funding we will be able to expand our efforts to the entire East End of Long Island