Cuts in services now a civil rights issue

I am writing on behalf of 11,500 Illinois citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are languishing on waiting lists hoping to be able to receive critical home-based services that would allow them to be supported in the communities where they live. The state’s proposed 6 percent budget cut in vital services to individuals with these disabilities will force many people out of their homes and away from their families and communities to live in segregated and costly institutions, which is in clear violation of their civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

My organization provides essential services to such people in their homes and in the communities where they live. And, we provide these vital services at 50 percent less than institutional costs. However, the state has proposed cuts to vital health services like dental care and mental health supports. If individuals want to ensure access to these vital services, they must agree to institutional placement where these services are provided. This is no longer a budget issue. It’s a civil rights issue.

I have made a request to the Justice Department calling for an investigation of the denial by Gov. Quinn and the state of Illinois of the civil rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities guaranteed under the ADA.

Katherine Dunbar

Regional director-Illinois

Bethesda Lutheran Communities