Parents, advocates seek to expand registry of abusers

A new battle to protect people with disabilities from being abused by caregivers is taking shape on Beacon Hill, where advocates are pushing lawmakers to expand a registry of abusive people that is intended to protect people with disabilities."It's very frustrating. I mean, come on, do your job," said Ann Joyce, whose nonverbal son, Dana, was abused by workers at his group home.They joined a team of parents to champion a law to create the Disabled Person's Protection Commission Registry of Abusers.This registry works to bar abusive care providers from working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Employers now check it before hiring someone to work in a group home. It's been up and running since July 2021, with 102 abusers on the registry. So far 90,000 people have been vetted by employers for 250 group homes.But there's a gap. It doesn't apply to the day habilitation programs that 8,000 adults with disabilities attend each week."These are our most vulnerable people. They don't have a voice and we need to do the work. It needs to be done," said Paul Joyce, Dana's father. "You could technically get fired from a group home for abuse and just go next door and work in a day program. So we have to close that loop."A bill to extend the registry to cover those programs has been sitting on Beacon Hill, with the clock ticking to the end of the session. So far there has been no voiced opposition to the bill, but there hasn't been any action on it either.Nancy Altieri, executive director of the state's Disabled Persons Protection Commission, said the bill would a "critical next step to ensuring the safety of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities."The Joyces said there is no excuse for leaving their son and thousands of individuals with disabilities at risk."We are relentless. We're not going to give up. Okay, so come on, let's get this done," Ann said.