Erie County is taking a bold step to improve how first responders support people living with mental health conditions, developmental disabilities, or cognitive challenges.
The county launched the “Handle With Care” initiative, designed to give first responders vital, personalized information before they arrive on the scene, enabling safer, more compassionate responses.
“It’s about our dignity, our person and who we are,” said Mike Rogers, who lives with a disability and works for the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State. “For so long, people with disabilities were basically told that the rest of society makes decisions for you.”
Rogers, a longtime advocate, said Thursday’s launch marked a major step forward in his journey and a breakthrough for the disability community as a whole…