Past Events

Self-advocates, supported living providers as well as family members and others join to let legislators know how important living in the community is and ask them to ensure that providers of these supports are paid a fair living wage. There is currently a huge inequity as supported living providers do exactly the same care tasks as state employees in State Operated Living Alternatives (SOLA), yet receive much lower wages. We meet at United Churches at 10 am to learn why…

February 5th—Good Paying Jobs for Self Advocates Having a job means that individuals with DD can be productive citizens, contributing to our economy by paying taxes, while also providing valuable services. Being gainfully employed builds self-esteem, but our state still allows people with disabilities to be paid sub-minimum wages, as little as 2 cents an hour! Join self-advocates, families and employment service providers from Community Employment Alliance (CEA) as we work to make wages equitable. CEA will hold a rally…

Families provide the majority of care at home for people with DD, saving our state millions of dollars. Respite care is a critical service, but its often difficult to find a provider. Teens and adults with DD and challenging behaviors are taken to hospital emergency rooms and remain there with no medical need because the behavior supports they need are not readily available. Parent to Parent, local chapters of The Arc and Parent Coalitions invite you to come to this…

The Caseload Forecast Council is tasked with providing legislators with a projection of how many people will be needing services each biennium from specific entitlement programs. These include K-12 education, Corrections and Aging and Long Term Care, among others. DD services are NOT included in caseload forecasting which is why we have a huge waiting list for services. No assessments have been done for those waiting so we don’t even know what their needs are. It’s time legislators fixed this…

Creating a supplemental budget is the one thing legislators are required to do during this legislative session. With many new legislators, it is important that you  educate yours about the needs of people with DD. This is not a time for legislators to create new spending items, it is to fix shortfalls in last year’s  biennial budget. Help by using your voice to let policy-makers know how critical services for DD are and encourage them to ensure these services are funded. Learn…

Do you trouble finding a care provider, a respite provider, a supported  living provider, a primary care physician, a dentist, etc. In the early 1900s, people had large families with 8—12 children.  By the 1950s, families were having fewer children, an average of 5 kids. In the 1980s the average was only 3 children and currently it is 0 – 2 children. As children of the early baby boomers are retiring, the next generation provides a smaller number of people…