Fw: Arc and Sharing Our Stories About the Budget Cuts

[Guest guest]

Thanks to Sue Brown for her advocacy!

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

Arc and Sharing Our Stories About the Budget Cuts

The Arc of Illinois

May 12, 2011

Leaders in The Arc:

Sue Brown has stepped to share her story about the cuts to disability services.

Her family is at risk because of those cuts. Sue also came up to the Capitol for

our Legislative Coffee to share her story below.

Thank you Sue for advocacy.

Check out our pictures for our LIFE Collation from our Legislative Coffee and

other meetings in the Capitol:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/LIFE-Fund-Critical-Services-for-People-with-Disabi\

lities/137495486323077?sk=wall

We have developed sample Letters to the Editor in our LIFE Coalition Materials

for your use. Please write a Letter to the Editor to your local paper and share

it with us.

LIFE Campaign materials will be posted on The Arcs website: www.TheArcofIL.org

LIFE Video Fund Critical Services for People with Disabilities

Friend us on Facebook today! Here is a link to make it easy!

LIFE-Fund-Critical-Services-for-People-with-Disabilities

We have had many generous donations for the LIFE Campaign. Thank you!

Donations can be made by clicking onto the donation button below.

Tony auski

The Arc of Illinois

815-464-1832

Weve all heard about how important it is to meet with our legislators. In doing

so this week, I realized just how important it is to have those face-to-face

meetings. But what everyone forgot to mention was that there is an element of

magic involved. Although its not the abracadabra type of magic, it is magic

nonetheless.

There were introductions. There were handshakes. We told our stories to the

legislators. And there it wasmagic. That moment when the courtesy turned to

interest, then to concern. The moment when your words created a visual picture

that allowed the door into your life to open just a crack, giving them a glimpse

into your everyday reality. The spark of recognition that these are real lives

potentially affected, not just line items on a budget. The understanding that we

are real people living in sometimes very difficult situations.

We werent asking for much, just the chance to be heard and understood. We asked

for their understanding of the need for respite. One legislator stated he knew

all about respitethats what a family uses when they drop off their child with a

disability with someone so they can take a 2 week vacation. Thats when we told

him that respite for us was someone to provide care for a child with a

disability so we could maintain some sort of normalcy for our other children who

do not have disabilities. Respite provides some of us the chance to catch our

breath or to even catch up on sleep after weeks on end of not sleeping much

because of staying up with a child who seizes during the night. Respite is what

allows us to be able to function.

The eyes told the story. The eyes of the family members that sometimes filled

with tears, yet maintained their quiet dignity. The eyes of the legislators

when it became apparentthey were listening and trying to understand. There it

was that spark of magic.

The next time you are asked to meet with your legislators about concerns for

your family member who has a disability, just rememberheres your chance to

create a little magic.

Sue Brown

ville

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