Deaf Watch Newsletter
Richard Roehm
(Address Snipped)

February 23, 1998

The Honorable Loretta Sanchez
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.  20510

Dear Representative Sanchez:

     Thank you for authoring H.R. 2964, The Older and Disabled Americans
Protection Act of 1997.

     It is appreciated you created something that will protect the disabled in 
group homes.  Stories of neglect and abuse of disabled who reside in group homes 
and residential schools continue to disturb me.   Take that plus the recent news 
in Orange County of a caretaker who kept her client's corpse in wraps for 2 years 
only to continue to receive checks belonging to her client.  I'm sure this problem 
has been going on for a long time and until H.R. 2964, nothing wasbeing done to 
curb the problem of senior citizens and the disabled people living in squalid
conditions or be subjected to physical or psychological abuse.

     The Older and Disabled Americans Protection Act of 1997 is a good step in 
the direction so that senior citizens and the disabled are properly cared for 
and free from abuses in any form.

     The disability community is one of the largest and most underrepresented 
groups in the State as well in the nation.

	Thank you.

Sincerely,


Richard Roehm
Deaf Watch Newsletter