Matters Study Finds Support And Services Lacking For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities a <7 (NAPSA)—Fifty years ago, President Kennedy madea call to the nation to help bring people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) out of the shadows and give them opportunities to lead productive, quality lives. Despite gains in many areas, more progress must be made to create these opportunities. The Arc, the nation’s largest and oldest humanrights organiza- tion for the I/DD community, con- ducted a national survey, Families and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS), to learn from caregivers of people with I/DD if their loved ones are faring well in school, the workplace and throughout their lives. The survey questioned whether the I/DD population receives the support services, funding and resources they need and deserve to lead fully integrated lives. According to the FINDSsurvey, 62 percent of caregivers report a decrease in services for their family memberwith disability. While budget cuts and economic strain have hurt all Americans, the 7 million living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families are amongthe hardesthit. The survey revealed that potentially 1 million families report being on waiting lists for the most basic government-funded services including transportation, housing, employment supports and personal assistance, with an average wait of more than five years. Many family members have even had to quit their jobs to stay homeandprovidecare. The Arc serves more than a million individuals and their fami- lies through more than 700 state andlocal chapters and has helped many people with I/DD achieve their goals in the areas of education, employment and independent living. The survey found that most people with I/DD live in poverty and that fewer than 20 i vil The Arc gives 8-year-old identical twins Annika and Maya AdrianHage hopethat they will be able to achievetheir life goals. percent are employed. Thirty- three percent have Supplemental Security Income as their only source of income while 21 percent live on Social Security. Although the nation has made some progress over the last 50 years, much more can be done. An immediate priority, say experts from The Are, is to pressure Congress not to balance the budget on the backs of people with I/DD. Budget cut proposals in Congress threaten to dismantle Medicaid, making it even harder for people with I/DD and their families to achieve their goals in the areas of education, employment and independentliving. To raise awareness surrounding the barriers those with I/DD face, the organization has part- nered with Lauren Potter, star of the hit FOX show “Glee.” As a successful actress with Down syndrome who is achieving her dreams, Lauren represents the spirit of The Arc’s work. To help people with I/DD achieve their goals, visit www.thearc.org.
