©2011 Galesburg Broadcasting Co.
| Advocates for Disabled Concerned About Budget Cuts |
(IRN) -- As lawmakers work to craft a budget, those benefitting from social services are speaking out on cuts.
"Do the right thing," said Eric Guidish, a 41-year-old Navy veteran from Springfield who says he wouldn’t be where he is now without a community reintegration program that proposed state budgets would eliminate.
Guidish got into a car accident 13 years ago. He was paralyzed from the collar bone down. He spent 6 months in the hospital without knowing what to do next, but with the help of community reintegration support, he got on the right path.
"I didn't work for like five years, but it took me that long to learn how to live with my disability and also getting the education and more training," he said. "And then I landed a job, and then two years ago, I was finally able to save up a down payment, enough to convince the bank to give me a loan to purchase my own place."
Guidish says the goal of independent living will be severely limited for people without the program he took advantage of. He wants to see others be able to benefit like he did.
Nick Quealy-Gainer of the Campaign for Real Choice -- a group that fights for people with disabilities -- says while millions of dollars are being cut from a variety of social service programs, a $28 million increase to state-operated developmental centers has the state moving in the wrong direction.
"People want to live in the community," he says. "They don’t want to live in institutions. The state needs to live up to its commitment to allow people to live in the community and keep people out of institutions, which they’re making that commitment on paper. The money isn't there though."
(Illinois Radio Network) |
|
| 05 17 11 by Newsroom |
Click here for the WGIL News Archive
Click here for national news
The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.
