The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities is meeting on March 21, 2024. In advance of that meeting, the committee has requested that any concerned parties submit comments.
Unfortunately, the committee has limited comments to 1500 characters, perhaps a reflection on how much input they want from those they claim to represent.
Click below to read VOR's full comments to the PCPID, and for information as to how you may attend the meeting online.
The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a proposed rule "Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Health and Human Service Programs or Activities", intended to update, clarify, and strengthen the implementing regulation for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
VOR contends that the policies of HHS, notably the actions taken over the years by the Administration for Community Living and several of the organizations they subsidize (including State P&As and DD Councils, University Centers for Excellence, and the National Disability Rights Network) have regularly committed acts of discrimination against those with the most severe and profound intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
By Carole Sherman
On June 20, 2023, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, chaired by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) convened a panel to "Celebrate Olmstead". The panel clearly misrepresented the Olmstead Decision, and joyfully celebrated their own re-interpretation of the decision.
In response, long-time member of VOR and Arkansas advocate Carole Sherman sent a letter reprimanding the Senate Special Committee for putting on such a presentation that disregards the needs of so many people they are responsible for protecting.
On February 16, 2023, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee held its first hearing on the health care workforce crisis. The meeting focused on the shortage of doctors and nurses, especially the imprnding retirement of most of the nursing force in the years ahead and the current/recent lack of enrollees in nursing schools. Only one brief mention was made of the crisis in the workforce of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) that has been shutting down care services systems for people with I/DD and autism.
On March 20, 2023, VOR submitted comments to the Senate HELP Committee, asking them to expand the scope of their investigations to include this essential workforce and take action to this critical shortage of caregivers.
Please download (and share) VOR's comments here
