Action Alerts

This is an urgent message from New York Disability Advocates (NYDA) – New York Disability Advocates is a statewide coalition representing more than 300 non-profit organizations providing vital services and support to more than 140,000 New Yorkers with developmental disabilities.

Adult Day Programs are in danger of closing without the Retainer Program during the COVID-19 crisis!  The infection rates in NYS have come down but we are in danger of a second wave and reinfection from other states AND our own people beginning to ignore social distancing and mask wearing!

Below is a link to a 1-click letter writing campaign and a link to the NYDA Facebook page where you can like and share the post.

Parents, self-advocates and other supporters of our field can visit https://www.votervoice.net/CPANYS/campaigns/76012/respond and send a message to the Governor’s office by email or phone. Users can customize the message as they see fit.

Also, NYDA has posted the July 17 letter to the Governor on its Facebook (www.facebook.com/nydisabilityadvocates) and Twitter (@NYDisabilityAdv) channels, and will soon be promoting the advocacy campaign. 

Please share these posts and encourage your followers to do the same.

Thanks very much for your support!

TELL GOVERNOR CUOMO: PROTECT CARE COORDINATION ORGANIZATIONS NOW!

https://www.safeguardourlifeline.org/#Form

Help Stop Impending Cuts to I/DD Services!


NYS is on the verge of slashing services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).  Because of enormous expenses related to the Coronavirus, NYS is drowning in a $13 BILLION deficit and may need to cut funding across the board.

That would mean colossal cuts to all of our services: residential, day, family support, employment—everything would be cut to the bone!  Since virtually all I/DD services are funded through Medicaid, every state dollar cut would mean a matching federal dollar lost.

The only salvation is rescue funding from the federal government.  Congress must be urged to pass a financial aid bill to rescue state governments and save our services. 

Please email the following 


Tell them: NYS must have federal financial aid to ward off massive cuts to essential services, including critical services that people with I/DD rely upon every day of their lives. Tell them we are grateful for their support and ask them to keep fighting fiercely for federal funding for states.

 

Introducing the #ForgottenFaces Campaign

From the loss of loved ones, essential supports and livelihoods, many are hurting. The field of disability supports is among the hardest hit. While some have received funding and access to PPE, many providers have been barely hanging on, and passed over with each agreement reached on Capitol Hill and in the halls of our federal agencies. We cannot let these #ForgottenFaces continue to go unrecognized.
ANCOR is taking multiple steps, including continuing to collect data, lobbying members of Congress, and recognizing and sharing stories of the direct support professionals who are on the frontlines of this crisis. These efforts and more comprise our #ForgottenFaces campaign, which officially kicks off today.
Here’s how you can get involved in this campaign to highlight, and advocate for, those who are being left behind by our federal government’s response to the pandemic:
  • Visit amplifier.ancor.org to use our one-click email tool to contact members of Congress directly, and demand to be included in the next COVID-19 relief bill.
  • Read and share our new fiscal impact report, analyzed by Avalere, Impact of COVID-19 on Organizations Serving Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
  • Schedule a meeting with your member(s) of Congress.
  • Ask your member(s) of Congress to cosign an op-ed or letter to the editor, or write one addressing your members of Congress (email Doris Parfaite-Claude at dparfaite-claude@ancor.org to get started).
  • Identify DSPs and/or peopleyour organization supports who are willing to give firsthand accounts of their experiences and their needs.
  • Use and share content on all social media platforms using hashtag #ForgottenFaces.
Moving forward, we will be sending you semi-regular updates with the latest news, stories from the frontlines and opportunities to take action. We know this is a challenging time, and we appreciate you taking the time to complete any of the above steps. We must ensure that these #ForgottenFaces stop being overlooked.

Featured Resources

Call for Volunteers: Op-eds and Letters to the Editor
We are calling for volunteers to support us with an editorial campaign to step up pressure on Congress to do right by Medicaid disability supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are interested in submitting either an op-ed or a letter to the editor to news outlets in your state or local community on the need for urgent action, please email Doris Parfaite-Claude at dparfaite-claude@ancor.org. We will equip you with everything you need: templates, instructions, and a list of outlets.
We are happy to assist anyone who is interested, but are particularly seeking participants from the following states because of their members of Congress: Alaska, Arizona, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Thank you for volunteering to support this effort!