Join us on Capitol Hill, May 12 - 14, 2025, as we meet with members of the 119th Congress and key members of cabinet agencies to discuss issues that affect people with severe / profound I/DD, autism, and mental illnesses.
To register for the initiative,
please click here (You must be a member of VOR to participate in this event.)
VOR has submitted a letter to the Governor of every state, and also sent emails to the National Governors Association, the Republican Governors Association, and the Democratic Governors Association, in hopes that they will unite against making any cuts to Medicaid.
We want the Governors to understand how severely these cuts will harm their constituents in the I/DD, autism, mental health, and aging communities. We want them to realize that these cuts will futher impact their state hospital systems, as people who lose Medicaid will turn to emergency rooms far more frequently. Furthermore, Medicaid cust will further strain their own state budgets, while lowering their credit ratings and making it more diffilcult to borrow funds to build roads, schools, and infrastructure.
We ask our members to please share these resources with your own State Governors.
VOR has submitted a letter to each Director of State Developmental Disabilities Services calling for them to reach out to their Governors and members or the House and Senate to highlight their concerns with proposed cuts to Medicaid.
We ask our members to please share these resources with your own State DD Services and with the providers of residential services for your family members with I/DD and autism.
The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor sought comments regarding their proposed rule to eliminate sheltered workshops and Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities held its first in-person meetings since 2019 on September 25 and 26, 2024. This year's committee was notable in that self-advocates comprised a majority of committee members.
While the reports from HHS - sponsored agencies were informative and covered a variety of issues, all of the subject matter was directed to Home- and Community-Based Services. People with intellectual disabilities who receive long-term supports and services through the non-HCBS silo of Medicaid were once again left out of the conversation.