I have found renewed faith in the work of advocacy.
About a year ago Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced
he was slashing 10 % from the State Budget for services to persons with
disabilities. Many individuals and
organizations, including me, rose up in protest. Some of us staged a demonstration in the
Capital rotunda in Harrisburg. Many of
us wrote personal letters to our State Senators and Representatives, as well as
to the Governor himself. It seemed like
a hopeless cause but we pressed on relentlessly.
To my joyful surprise our efforts paid off. Governor Corbett recently announced that he
was going to increase the budget for
funding programs for persons with disabilities by reallocating $20 million to
aid those with intellectual disabilities.
This is a major victory in the ongoing battle for appropriate services
to families affected by diagnoses such as Down Syndrome, autism, Fragile X
Syndrome, mental retardation and more.
Currently there are more than 15,000 Pennsylvanians with
intellectual disabilities on the waiting list for services. That's 15,000 adult persons severely handicapped and unable to care for
themselves and meet their needs. This
does not include those under the age of 21.
These 15,000 adults have nowhere to go; no place to live; no one to
supervise their medications; no means of transportation. They are completely dependent upon loving
family members who are willing to sacrifice their time, money and resources to
keep their loved ones alive and safe. Of
these 15,000 persons, 300 are on the emergency waiting list. This means their situations are especially
severe. Perhaps they have no family
members to provide for them. Or they may
be prone to violence towards themselves or others. In more than a few cases these persons are
so severely disabled that they cannot do anything for themselves, such as
feeding themselves, or toileting, or other basic functions. Yet they are denied services because of
financial priorities that have determined that they are not important enough to
be provided some basic dignity in life.
This is nothing short of a social sin.
Until his announcement on Wednesday, January 23, Governor
Corbett has been among the guilty parties that have turned a deaf ear to the
disabled community. I have publicly
criticized the Governor for his inattention to this serious concern. Now, I will give credit where credit is
due. Kudos to Mr. Corbett for finally
listening to the voice of Pennsylvania's citizens. The $20 million dollars he is proposing is
short of meeting the need, but is a strong step in the right direction. The Governor estimates that this new money
will help to get 1,200 people off the waiting list and into the services they
need. That would include all those who
are on the emergency waiting list, plus another 900 as well.
Corbett said that after visiting with advocacy groups and
talking to persons with disabilities and their caregivers about the struggles,
the stress and the daily problems they endure, "to say that I was
moved...would be an understatement."
This is what it takes.
Personal stories; real life scenarios; direct contact with those who are
in need and those who can help do something about it. Why did it take this long? The answer lies, in part, at the desk of the
Governor. Corbett has repeatedly refused
to meet with the advocates and caregivers. Until recently. We finally gained an audience with the man
who proposes the State budget and, predictably, he was moved.
This is not the end of the struggle, however. Even with this generous proposal there
remains 13,800 adult citizens on the waiting list for services. If Corbett's figures are correct and $20
million dollars will meet the needs of 1,200 people, then is follows that an additional
$250 million dollars will be required to meet the needs of those still left in
limbo. Their lives and their situations
are just as real and important as the 1,200 who can look forward to gaining
help. We must not rest until there is NO
waiting list and all citizens with disabilities can find peace by having their
needs met fully. After all, isn't that
what everyone desires?
GDGehr
January 29, 2013
comments welcomed