Click here to view the interview between Jill Escher, President of the National Council on Severe Autism and Hugo Dwyer, Executive Director of VOR.
VOR has submitted a statement to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding proposals to change the "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility", also known as the Public Charge Rule.
VOR has recently joined forces with the Coalition to Protect 14c, a group of advocates dedicated to preserving employment opportunities for people with I/DD for whom competitive integrated employment may not be an option.
The Coalition has recently released a white paper outlining their position, and VOR members have been actively engaged in meeting with congressional staffers in support of the preservation of these employment opportunities for people with I/DD and Autism.
The US Senate has been unable to pass the Build Back Better Act as written. However, several provisions of the bill are likely to be brought before congress in existing bills, as new bills, as part of appropriations bills or continuing resolutions, or bundled together with other bills and passed as new legislation. We are tracking those efforts and will keep our members informed as they appear.
VOR is encouraging our members to send a letter to their Members of Congress highlighting our concerns with the Build Back Better Act, reflecting our hopes that the bill can be altered to protect the needs of the most severely intellectually and developmentally disabled and to preserve a family's right to choose the best options for their loved ones with I/DD.
Click here to download a copy of VOR's letter