In May 1995, I and hundreds of others attending the American Association on Mental Retardation Annual Conference were amazed by the inspiring speech given by the young man appointed by President Bill Clinton as the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice.

That day, Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick called upon the nation to

And then on that day in San Francisco over 18 years ago, as a precursor to his service yet to come as Governor of Massachusetts, Patrick further declared: "The American with Disabilities Act promotes the full integration and inclusion of people with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, telecommunications and all of the activities of state and local government."

Now as Governor Deval Patrick, the former Assistant Attorney General has on his desk the opportunity to put his stamp and approval on making his vision of an inclusive America,  a reality for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Massachusetts.

Advocates from The Arc of Massachusetts, ADDP and DDS have worked together to put together a "Blueprint for Success: Employing Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in Massachusetts.

The Blueprint lays out a strategy and methodical approach to assisting people with I/DD who wish to transition from sheltered workshops into Community Based Day Supports and Supported Employment.

This issue has become critical as Patrick's former Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights have embarked on a campaign to enforce the integration mandate of the Olmstead decision with relation to employment settings.

In Rhode Island, Oregon and New York, DOJ and the U.S. Department of Labor have stepped in to force state government to modify their programs.  Rather than waiting for his former colleagues to sue him and the Commonwealth, Governor Patrick has the opportunity in his upcoming FY 15 Budget to fund an $11 million ($5.5 state funds matched by $5.5 federal funds) investment that will begin the transition of employment programs.