Fw: Still in the Shadows? New Survey Explores Needs for Disability Support

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Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

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Still in the Shadows? New Survey Explores Needs for Disability Support

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Are People with I/DD Still Living in the Shadows?

Funding is scarce, families are stressed, people with intellectual and

developmental disabilities (I/DD) are not being given the opportunities they

deserve to live up to their full potential. We have known that intuitively for

some time. Now, we have taken steps to measure the needs of individuals and

families living with I/DD and find out where we’re succeeding in offering them

support and where we’re falling short. The Arc, in conjunction with

researchers at the University of Minnesota, conducted an unprecedented survey of

more than 5000 individuals with I/DD, their family members and caregivers

covering a host of issues from education to housing to planning for the future.

Today, The Arc released the top findings in a publication called Still in

the Shadows with Their Future Uncertain and outlined the steps we need to take

as a movement to address the unmet needs highlighted in the survey. With deep

budget cuts and the proposed restructuring of essential services such as

Medicaid, there is a real fear that our society may regress toward the

institutional services we have been working to end for more than 50 years. But

community and family-based caregiving options need to be supported in a way that

actually benefits individuals and families, which is not always the case. Here

are just a few of the most dramatic findings from the survey.

a.. 62% of caregivers report that the level of services for their family

member with a mild or moderate disability is decreasing; 70% of families with

severe disabilities report a decrease in services.

b.. 72% of family respondents provide direct financial support to their

family member with disabilities and 52% of families are paying for care out of

their own income.

c.. More than 80% of families reported not having enough retirement

savings for their future as a result of using personal funds to compensate for

the lack of services available to their loved one.

Read the full report available now and join us in our movement through the

call to action we outlined. Or, find out more about how you can get involved

with The Arc to help bring about positive change, offer opportunity and foster

hope for people with I/DD in your community at www.thearc.org.

The Arc 1660 L Street, NW, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20036

Phone: 800.433.5255 | Contact Us

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