Menumenu

By Greg Reilly

Abilis, an organization that supports people with developmental disabilities in New Canaan and throughout Fairfield County, is rallying the community to contact their legislators and demand the funding not be cut as proposed by Gov. Dannel Malloy.

The proposed fiscal year 2016 cuts will be voted on Tuesday, March 29 and would be implemented immediately.

 

Abilis asked that people contact their legislators and encourage them to find alternative sources of savings that will protect and preserve services to individuals with developmental disabilities. The organization and the families it supports hope that personal stories of how DDS support impacts lives coupled with the broader community’s demand that the most vulnerable community members be supported would restore funding to these programs.

abilis.us/advocacy/legislators

Abilis also called for people to travel to Hartford and help lobby during the Vote on the Deficit Mitigation Plan on March 29.

Last week Governor Dannel Malloy released a proposal that could have a dramatic impact on state-funded programs for individuals with disabilities. Malloy announced $17 million in cuts to Department of Developmental Services as part of his plan to address a $220 million shortfall in the budget for fiscal year 2016.

DDS Commissioner Morna Murray also announced that 2016 could mark the first year with no guarantee for services to new graduates / age outs since the inception of the program.

The families most immediately impacted by the proposal are those who are supported in a day program or hope to be, those working towards community employment, those expecting residential support in the future.

For more information, please visit www.abilis.us

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