Our Family Members: People with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities (VOR Position)

Our Family Members –
People with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities:
These are the people Congress had in mind when Medicaid was established.

These are the people that have the most to lose if Medicaid is cut.

 People with severe and profound intellectual disabilities (formerly, "mental retardation") need an effective and credible voice now more than ever.

 They need VOR’s voice and Congress’ support.

Despite tremendous progress relating to acceptance and awareness of people with disabilities, people with the most severe and profound intellectual disabilities are often forgotten because they are unseen.

These are not the individuals whose independence in the community we jointly celebrate. Rather, the forgotten are the most needy, the most fragile and the most disabled members of our society. They need help in every aspect of life including walking, talking, bathing, eating and toileting. In addition to severe and profound intellectual disabilities, they endure multiple disabilities, chronic medical conditions and/or behavioral challenges.

These are the folks who Congress had in mind when Medicaid was established.

These are the individuals most at risk as Congress continues to debate Medicaid.

We call upon the Congress to exercise care and the utmost compassion as it considers the federal budget.