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We believe that all people, regardless of their abilities, have innate value and dignity and should be treated with respect.

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We believe in the concept of self-determination. That is to say that we believe that all people, including those with disabilities, have the right to choose the environments in which they live, work, and play. We do not believe that every individual will be happiest or live the most fulfilling life in the same type of environment as everyone else.

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We believe in the concept of least restrictive environment. We take this to mean that people with disabilities should be assisted to “live, work, and play” in environments that are as “normal” and “mainstream” as possible while enabling them to function at their highest potential and to be happy doing so.

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Because we believe that some people with disabilities will choose to “live, work, and/or play” in environments that are not fully mainstream (or inclusive), we believe that a continuum of services, offering a variety of levels of support, should be made available to people with developmental disabilities. We believe that FNE provides an environment that, for some people, is the “least restrictive environment” in which they can function to their highest potential and be happy.

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We believe in helping the people we serve to develop self-reliance and independence. We also believe in helping them to learn interdependence and the ability to work with others.

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We believe that the services and supports provided by FNE should be molded to fit the needs of the people with whom we work; we should not expect these people to mold themselves to fit into any predetermined program(s).

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FNE believes in the value of maintaining open space in our communities. We believe in making maximum use of renewable resources and in treating our environment in a responsible, respectful manner.