TThe Florida 13th Congressional District has a large population of persons who are physically and mentally challenged. We are extremely fortunate to have a very special institution, the Suncoast Center for Independent Living (SCIL), which makes an enormous contribution to their well-being and to that of the southwest Florida community as a whole. SCIL has become even more effective since the opening of its new facility two years ago (across from Robards Arena, at 2989 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, Florida 34237, tel. 941-351-9545).
The Suncoast Center is a member of a network of similar organizations (CILs), which are funded in part pursuant to the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and required to have a majority of individuals with disabilities on their governing boards and staffs. SCIL is a non-profit organization that assists persons with significant disabilities - estimated to number as many as 150,000 in the southwest Florida area and over 3.7 million in the state as a whole -- to live successfully in their communities and to achieve their full career and other potentials.
Unfortunately, funding for services for physically and mentally challenged individuals are being cut back at all levels of government. At the federal level, the last few years have witnessed a harmful trend of slashing funding for vital social services while exacerbating the national debt with tax cuts primarily benefiting the wealthiest households. In Congress, Jan will oppose further cuts in Medicare and Medicaid and in funding for such things as federal grants for Alzheimer’s programs and traumatic brain injury state grants, supportive housing for persons with disabilities, and rehabilitative vocational education.
Faced with years of huge budget deficits and a national debt approaching $10 trillion, Congress must clearly exercise fiscal restraint. Cutting programs to increase the capacity for independent living by persons with disabilities is, however, not only unfeeling but economically short-sighted. Since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act alone has helped over 55 million Americans to enjoy enhanced and more productive lives by removing barriers in employment, transportation, public services and other areas.
The federal government has made some progress in important areas in recent years. The 2002 Help America Vote Act Public Law (HAVA), for example, helped improve access to voting for many disabled Americans. On the other hand, there are still many important areas warranting further attention, including transportation, housing, and disaster relief.
In addition, there is a special group of persons with disabilities who are being gravely wounded by budget cuts - disabled veterans. In addition to the well over 4,000 Americans killed in Iraq, tens of thousands wounded. Instead of heroes’ welcomes, too many of them are coming home to inadequate and dilapidated healthcare facilities and denian of promised benefits. Congress should provide for mandatory (off-budget) funding of veterans’ healthcare, enact full concurrent receipt (retirement and disability pay), expand or retain rather than close military medical facilities, establish adequate mental health programs for active duty military and veterans (including for posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD), and enact an updated GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, among other measures.
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