People With Disabilities, Families, and Direct Support Professionals: Tell Congress #WeAreEssential
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote as soon as tomorrow morning on the next pandemic relief package - and we can't be left behind!
The proposed bill includes many provisions that will provide critical support to people with disabilities, their families, and the direct support professional (DSP) workforce during this pandemic.
Contact your Members of Congress NOW to make sure that these specific needs are included:
Dedicated funding for Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS). These funds are necessary to serve people with disabilities in their homes and communities and will provide better wages and support for the DSP workforce. Access to HCBS will limit the risk of people with disabilities being put in institutions.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) for direct support professionals. This is urgently needed to protect the health and safety of this critical workforce. DSPs must be designated as essential workers so that they can get access to the PPE and medical supplies they need.
Paid leave for all caregivers. As more people with disabilities lose their usual sources of care, family caregivers are scrambling and need access to paid leave and sick days to help their loved ones. Congress should include all family caregivers in the emergency paid leave provisions.
Economic impact payments for all people with disabilities. Tell Congress to make sure that stimulus payments are available to everyone, including adults with disabilities who are claimed as dependents.
Thank you for your advocacy!
The Arc of New Jersey | 732.246.2526 | info@arcnj.org
