Massachusetts registry of abusers going live in days Focused on employees who help those with developmental disabilities Share Updated: 7:01 PM EDT Jul 28, 2021 Karen Anderson Focused on employees who help those with developmental disabilities Share Updated: 7:01 PM EDT Jul 28, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript WILL LAUNCH A NEW WAY TO PROTECT ADULTS WITH DISABILITI.ES MARIA: IT’S A REGISTRY OF ABUSERS. IT HAS BEEYEN ARS IN THE MAKING, AND OUR KAREN ANDERSON HAS BEEN FOLLOWING IT FROM THE BEGINNING. KAREN: THIS REGISTRY WAS CREATED THANKS TO LEGISLATION PASSED ON BEACON HILL BACK IN 2020, BUT THE DRIVING FORCE A GROUP OF PARENTS AND OTHERS WHO SAW FIRSTHAND THE DAMAGE THAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIESRE A ABUSED. PAUL JOYCE: WE DID IT. WE DIDT. I KAREN: PRIDE AND A SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT SHARED BY TWO FAMILIES WHO VOWED TO PROTECT OTHERS AFTER LEARNING THR NON-VERBAL ADULT SONS WITH DISABILITIES, NICKY AND DANA, WERE ABUSED BY PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CARING FOR TH. PAUL JOYCE: THESE INDIVIDUALS NEED HELP, THEY NEED OUR PROTECTION, AND THEY DESERVE IT. KAREN: DANA’S ABUSE WAS RECOEDRD BY A CAMERA THAT HIS MOTHER INSTALLED. >> I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING. KAREN: TWO AIDES WERE CHARGED, BUT NOT BEFORE ONE APPLIED FOR ANOTHER JOB. IN NICKY'S C’SE, A CARETAKER WAS CHARGED WITH PHYSICAL ABUS BUTE, A JUDGE FOUND HIM NOT GUILTY. WHILE THEIR CASES ENDED UPN I COURT, IT MADE THE FAMILSIE AWARE OF THE MANY THAT NEVER D.DI WHEN YOU REALIZED THERE WAS NO WAY TO CHECK, WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND? CHERYL CHAN: TERR.RO TERROR OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY COULD JUST GO AND DO IT AGAIN AT THE NEXT JOB. KAREN: FIVE YEARS AGO, NICKY AND DAN’'S FAMILIES SET OUT TO CREATE A REGISTRY OF CAREGIVERS WHO ABUSED ADULTS WITH DISABILIESTI AFTER PUBLIC HEARINGS AND LOBBYING EFFORTS ONLINE AND ON BEACON HILL, THEIR BILL WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERRNO BAKER IN MARCH OF 2020. AND NOW, ON JULY 31, THE REGISTRY GOES LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS. PAUL JOYCE: IT COULD LITERALLY SAVE A LIFE. DIR. ALTERIO: WE’RE GOING TO BE PROTECTING A LOT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. KAREN:IS DABLED PERSONS PROTECTION COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NANCY ALTERIO SAYS CHEA YEAR, HER INVEIGSTATORS FIND AOUND 250 SUBSTANTIATED CASES OF ABUSE OF ADULTS WHIT INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT ONLY A FRACTN IOARE PROSECUTED. DIR. ALTERIO: THERE’S A LOT OF STUFF THAT HAPPENS THAT’S ABUSE, BUT IT DOESN’T RISE TO A LEVEL OF A CRI.ME KAREN: THAT MEANT THAT THE HISTORY OF HUNDREDS OF ABUSERS WASN’T AVAILABLE, FREEING THEM TO WORK AGN.AI BUT NOW, WHEN THE PCDP SUBSTANTIATES AN ABUSE CASE, IT WILL ADD THE CAREGIVER’S NAMEO T THE REGISTRY. EMPLOYERS WILL HAVE TO CHECK IT BEFORE HIRING MEONE.SO DIR. ALTERIO: AND IF THAT PERSON’S NAME IS ON OUR LT,IS THEY CANNOT HIRE THAT PERSON. PAUL JOYCE: BY IDEIFNTYING THEM AND GETTING THEM ON ETH REGISTER, THEY CAN’T REENTER THE WORKFOE.RC THEY CAN’T REENTER THE WORKFORCE. AND THAT’S THE MOST CRITICAL PART. KAREN: A TOOL THAT ALTERIO AND THESE FAMILIES HOPE CAN BE USED TO HELP PROTECT OTHER GROUPS OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN T FHEUTURE. DIR. ALTERIO: WE’RE GOI TNG BUILD OUR FOUNDATION, AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT BUILT, WE WANT TO THEN GO OUT AND EXPAND IT TO PROTECT OTHER PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. PAUL JOYCE: IT’S NOT GOING TO SOLVE ALL ABUSE, BUT IT’S A GREAT FIRST STEP, YOU KN.OW KAREN: THEEX NT STEP WOULD INCLUDE EXPANDING THE REGISTRY TO INCLUDE PEOPLE OF DIFFENTRE AGES AND DISABILITIES, BECAUSE, RIGHT NOW, IT IS ONLY FOR ONLY THOSE WORKING WITH PEOPLE BETWEEN 18 AND 59 WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITI