On June 22, The Arc of Illinois along with disability advocates across the country celebrate the 19th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, which has forced states to offer opportunities to people with disabilities to live in the least restricted settings.
On this day, we ask you to make TWO ACTIONS:
1) Join the national call in day to call your House and Senate legislators to support the EMPOWER Act and Money Follows the Person (MFP). MFP is a Medicaid program that helps people with disabilities and seniors move from nursing homes and other institutions into the community. It is cost effective, leads to better outcomes, and make the right to community living (recognized by the Supreme Court in Olmstead) a reality for many people. But it has expired!
We are asking everyone to call their members of Congress to ask them to co-sponsor and pass the EMPOWER Care Act. Here is the facebook event, and here is the webpage, with background information, a one-pager on the bill, and a script for calling.
2) Call your state legislators (click here if you don’t know your legislators, phone numbers can be found here) – Tell them:
“Today is the 19th Anniversary of the Supreme Court Olmstead decision. Please fulfill the promise of the Olmstead decision that people with disabilities are able to live in the community. We need increased funding, an end to the waiting list for services and rebalancing of funding redirected away from state institutions and towards home and community-based services so people with all kinds of support needs are able to live in the Illinois communities.”
Meg Cooch
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
Meg@thearcofil.org