Menumenu

Staff, clients of the Stamford agency tried to convince legislators that budget cuts would be devastating to their programs. Stamford, CT By BARBARA HEINS (Patch Staff)

Abilis CEO Dennis Perry and a group of 30 people with disabilities from the Abilis community joined some 50 organizations and more than 500 people in Hartford this week to advocate against state budget cuts. The effort on Wednesday, called Lobby Day, was organized by the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance.

Perry visited the offices of state senators and representatives in hopes of rallying support for the agency's vulnerable people who will be most affected by the cuts. Despite the activism, Gov. Dannel Malloy continued his budget reductions later in the day by announcing more than $17 million in cuts to the Department of Developmental Services including $9.7 million to residential services for people with developmental disabilities. Since 1951 Abilis has provided life and therapeutic services to people with disabilities across the lifespan. The organization is based in Stamford and Greenwich and provides services to more than 700 people throughout Fairfield County and relies heavily on the state in providing those services.