Pennsylvania citizens
should be outraged!
At least 18,000 adults
with developmental disabilities are being denied supports, services and
protection! The proposed PA 2010- 2011 budget includes $17.3 million cuts
making a very bad situation worse. The
individuals the state is ignoring are greatly subject to almost certain
isolation, abuse and neglect because of the lack of assistance, services
or oversight to meet even their basic needs.
The state's guiding principals include
sustaining and improving the quality of services for people who need
them... not denying services COMPLETELY!
When an individual that was successfully
included in their community with Early Intervention and special
education turns 21 they are now DUMPED and left to sit at home!
Join the Facebook group and get updates and
interact with others.
ACT NOW!
Use the info below to contact your legislators. |
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Life threatening Budget Cuts
for Pennsylvanians with Disabilities
Pennsylvania is currently completely denying services to 18,013
individuals, of whom 11,988 are in critical and emergency situations,
(facing loss of housing, care for by elderly parents, lacking access to
critical care.)
Additionally, there are severe proposed budget cuts of 17.3 million
dollars and even people getting necessary services can lose them. The
waiting list will continue to grow as 700 plus graduates each year exit
educational funding with nothing to turn to in adult services. These
are young adults who have been provided necessary services to participate in
their communities throughout Early Intervention and special education,
but once they turn 21 they will be denied
the services they should receive through "Home and Community-based
Waivers”. They will be denied any supports at all.
The failure to provide supports and services leaves adults with
developmental disabilities with no safety net and very much threatens
their lives. It leads to isolation, unemployment, poverty, decreased
quality of life, physical, social and emotional problems, loss of
skills, crisis, abuse and neglect, and sometimes death. It can often end
with costly tax payer funded institutional placements. Basically, it
ruins lives, the one’s the state has supported for 21 years prior, and
are well aware in advance of their needs. It hurts families and
communities too.
Pennsylvania is one of only a few states without adult protective
services, the combination of denying services and protection not only
sets people up for certain failure, it greatly increases the likelihood
of abuse and neglect, and in some cases death.
This is not acceptable; we do not want the state to continue a funding
bias toward more costly institutional and nursing home placements, while
ignoring that community services are far more cost effective and greatly
improve, help maintain and enhance the overall quality of life for
individuals with disabilities.
We want Pennsylvania citizens with developmental disabilities to enter
adult life with adequate funding for lifetime services and supports,
without gaps or delays. We urge you to reconsider the budget cuts
targeted at people with developmental disabilities and to provide the
community based waiver funding the state has indicated a commitment to
through its guiding principles.
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staff@kidstogether.org
| ACT NOW!
Action is needed now! You can have the most impact by
1)
Visiting your legislators
(This is the preferred action)
2)
Writing a letter
(The more letters the greater the impact!)
3)
Making a phone call, takes 60 seconds
(if each legislator gets 13 calls it makes the issue important!)
4)
Sign petition below (Along with steps above)
Find your legislators, type in your zip code at this site
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm
You can keep the message to your legislators brief; tell them
you support increased funding for “community based services”, so
no adult with developmental disabilities will be left in a
horrible a position of not having supports and services. Let
them know you are their constituent.
If you are a parent, or family member, take the person the
funding cuts affects with you; share their photo and/or
something they have created to put a face and a life to issue.
Tell your legislators that 18,000 adults are already on the
waiting list for services and each year another 500 to 800 will
graduate from schools without support from adult services.
Drastically changing and diminishing their quality of life and
placing their lives in jeopardy. These are students who the
system has had 20 years to budget for; from the time they were
aware of and supported their needs in Early Intervention
throughout education.
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Other state officials to contact:
Governor Edward Rendell
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: 717-787-2500
governor@state.pa.us
Harriet Dichter,
Department of Public Welfare Secretary
333 Health & Welfare Building
Harrisburg PA 17105
Phone: 717-787-2600
hdichter@state.pa.us
Kevin Casey,
Deputy Secretary Office of Developmental Disabilities
Department of Public Welfare
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg PA 17105-2675
Phone: 717-787-3700
kecasey@state.pa.us
Additional links
http://capwiz.com/thearc/issues/alert/?alertid=14696526&queueid=4682097971
ARC Action Alert
http://capwiz.com/par/issues/alert/?alertid=14688416&type=ST
PAR Action Alert
http://www.pawaitinglistcampaign.org/
Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign
Get the facts! Conditions in Pennsylvania
are deplorable! Thousands have NOTHING! |
