Big Tent Coalition Forum

Feel free to join us this afternoon at 1:30 PM on the second floor of the Capitol (in the rotunda) for Big Tent's news conference!

Speakers will include self-advocates, direct care workers, families and representatives of the disability and aging communities.  The Statehouse press corps has been invited, as well as local media.

The news release distributed to the media has been pasted below...





FUNDING FOR KANSANS WITH DISABILITIES
“UNDER CONSTRUCTION” DURING FY 2010

The Big Tent Coalition will unveil its budget priorities for the 2009 Legislative Session this Thursday, November 20th during a news conference to be held at the 2nd floor Rotunda, Kansas State Capitol, at 1:30 PM.  Persons with disabilities, families and service professionals will be present at the news conference to answer questions from the media. 

The Big Tent Coalition’s theme for this year’s legislative session, “Under Construction”, is an acknowledgement of the now-exposed frame of the Kansas disability service structure, due to calls for budgetary cuts.  “Under Construction” is also a message to legislators that significant budgetary ‘construction’ needs to be initiated to shore up our state’s crumbling disability service infrastructure.

The Big Tent Coalition’s budget priorities for the 2009 Legislative Session include:

•    Protecting essential services for persons with disabilities from any potential budgetary cuts
•    Preserving community-based services by providing critically-needed boosts in funding.
•    Promoting independence, freedom and respect by ending the State’s waiting lists – now totaling more than 3,000 children and adults.

The Big Tent Coalition strongly believes that funding for disability services should never be cut.  Providing the support that Kansans with disabilities need to live in our communities is a moral imperative of our State government.  The Big Tent Coalition will strongly advocate against any attempt to cut disability funding during this legislative session.

Kansans with disabilities should never be forced to wait for services and supports.  Currently those with physical disabilities, the frail elderly, children with autism, those with traumatic brain injuries and children and adults with mental health needs do not face a long waiting time for services.  However, if the State does not keep pace with funding needs they could face waiting lists.  Kansas does maintain waiting lists of more than 3,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities who wait to receive service.  The Big Tent recommends funding to ensure no other waiting lists arise for Kansans with disabilities and elimination of the developmental disabilities waiting lists.

Kansas direct care professionals comprise the cornerstone of all community-based services for Kansans with disabilities.  Whether the person receiving service has a mental illness, a physical disability, developmental disability or is a senior who is medically fragile, quality direct care staff are vital.  The Big Tent Coalition recommends adoption of a multi-year funding package that will promote the development of a quality workforce to support disabled or elderly persons, including:

•    Creating rate parity for personal attendant services across all HCBS waivers.
•    Creating rate parity between wages paid to direct care workers in the community and wages of direct care workers in State institutional setting by funding recommendations made by the Legislative Budget Committee.  Institutional workers currently make more than $3.50 an hour as compared to their community counterparts.

The Big Tent also encourages funding of enhancement budget requests for fiscal year 2010 made by SRS, KDHE and the Department on Aging.  These requests have been made to the Governor for inclusion in her FY 2010 budget. 

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