Father launches a fight against Florida waiting list
August 4th, 2009From AP/Gainesville [FL] Sun:
Advocate Mike Coonan has launched an organization called “Left Behind in Florida,” to lobby for the more than 18,000 people in Florida waiting to receive services from the state’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
Coonan’s 26-year-old son has epilepsy and autism. He lives at home and works at a local supermarket with the help of a job coach and his family.
When Coonan, 64, and his family moved to Pensacola from Michigan in 2004, they were surprised to learn the state had a list, and more surprised to find out it could be years before families might receive services.
“We didn’t know we’d be left to fend for ourselves,” he said.
Coonan and his wife, Prudence, said they are not seeking help for their son while they are alive, but for other families who need help.
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