Budget Cuts Threaten Decades of Progress for People with Disabilities

Opinion piece by Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation.

The federal budget will be cut dramatically in the years ahead and the impact that these cuts will have on people in society who need our help should concern all of us. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are particularly at risk, as public programs have barely kept pace with the needs of this population over the last decade and hard-won progress can easily be erased.
While the level of support varies greatly based on the disability, people with disabilities need some support to share and thrive in the human experience. Sometimes that support is minimal, such as the training and coaching needed for employment, and other times it is a more intense, even round the clock, level of care.