Summer of disinvestment is a wakeup call for disability advocates

In Minnesota we look forward to the summer months all year For those living with disabilities and those of us who deeply believe in their rights to live in and contribute to inclusive communities the summer is also a commemorative time On a hot July day in with widespread bipartisan encouragement President George H W Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA into law landmark statute that comprehensively defined discrimination based on disability On a sunny June day in the U S Supreme Court ruled on Olmstead v L C which built on the ADA and committed to the rights of people with disabilities to receive advocacy in their communities We entered the summer of ready to celebrate the th and th anniversaries of those watershed moments but instead on a cloudy July day just weeks ago a massive federal bill was signed into law A multitude of of us are still unpacking and seeking to understand the full implications of what the nearly pages in this behemoth ordinance include Related How Medicaid cuts threaten disabled Minnesotans What we know in contemporary times is the bill includes key sweeping cuts to Medicaid History has shown that when federal leaders chop away at these critical masses healthcare programs people with disabilities are among the first and hardest hit directly and indirectly For the past four decades I ve dedicated my career to working with people with disabilities advocating alongside them for the guidance and services needed to live the best feasible life I m part of Living Well Disabilities Services and over the program of all those years we ve endured the erosion of federal and state assistance for people with disabilities We ve invariably determined a way to keep our services going In the past disability organization providers have innovated to rebuild what was stripped away and take moves forward like with the ADA and the Olmstead ruling But make no mistake what is happening this day isn t an erosion of advocacy It s a mudslide an avalanche a washing away of sponsorship unlike any we ve experienced in current history To put into perspective what these cuts will mean in real terms of the people we backing through Living Well Disability Services depend on Medicaid Several people served by similar organizations are also dependent on these programs Cascading from there reduced budgets will limit the enhancement of new services the availability of housing opportunities and greater part significantly the number of staff available to sponsorship the people we serve Dedicated staff are the most of critical part of any organization empowering people with disabilities These cuts will make hiring retaining and paying fair wages to help staff a daunting task at times perhaps impossible We have used our voice to clearly share with each person representing Minnesota in Congress the cruel outcomes this bill will likely have for people with disabilities Cruelest of all when we remove opportunities from people we remove their hope Rod Carlson Credit Living Well Disability Services We are asking each congressperson to be accountable for what they voted for in this bill I urge you to call them email them meet with them and ask questions of your own For bulk of us summertime in Minnesota has been synonymous with the good life for generations What s happened this summer will have a profound negative effect on that quality of life Not just for people with disabilities Not just for those who stand beside them For all of us Communities and local economies lose when we remove opportunities and take hope away from our neighbors The cost for all of us will be so much more than any money these cuts have clawed back Rod Carlson is chief operating officer of Living Well Disability Services Mendota Heights The post Summer of disinvestment is a wakeup call for disability advocates appeared first on MinnPost