Elimination of programs & services does not eliminate needs

SPECIFICS: The needs of vulnerable Minnesotans have become more acute during the economic crisis. Continued reductions to vital services such as rehabilitation therapies will result in costs being passed on to Minnesota taxpayers in many other areas of the state budget, all at a much higher rate.

REAL LIFE:     Jake Rotz 

Diagnosis: Traumatic Brain Injury
Age When Started Services: 21
Home: Buffalo, MN
Services Received: Transitional Rehabilitation Program-
physical, occupational, cognitive and speech therapies
Outcomes: Regaining speech and movement functionality following brain injury and
5-week coma, this progress would have been impossible without services listed above

Disability services provide jobs and help revitalize the economy

SPECIFICS:     Providing services to individuals with disabilities results in jobs for those people who actually deliver these essential community services all across urban and rural Minnesota. Additionally, the rate of unemployment for people with disabilities is over 50%. Assisting people with barriers to employment in accessing and maintaining jobs helps enhance independence and reduces costs to the state.

REAL LIFE:  Peter Riggs

Diagnosis:  ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Age When Started Services: 54
Current Home: Minneapolis, MN
Services Received: Vocational Services – assistive technology assessment, computer assessment and training; job placement assistance
Outcomes: Returned to work

Minnesota is committed to community living, not institution based services

SPECIFICS: Recognizing that home and community based services cost less, provide more independence and are required by law, Minnesota has led the nation in getting people out of institutions and into communities. Breaking such a commitment through destabilizing cuts moves us backwards to a more expensive and less independent, institutional approach to disability.

REAL LIFE:  Jeff Riebe

Diagnosis:  Traumatic Brain Injury
Age When Started Services: 41
Current Home: Golden Valley, MN
Services Received: Transitional Rehabilitation Program- physical,
occupational, and speech therapies, Mental Health, Community
Reintegration Program, Fitness
Outcomes: Living in the community, volunteering

Disability services have experienced deep budget cuts in recent years

SPECIFICS:  The disability community has endured deep cuts to their programs and services in recent history, including hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts since 2002. These cuts have left an unstable system of supports for individuals with disabilities, and have also been ineffective in solving rising health and human services costs as they pass greater costs on to other budget areas.

REAL LIFE:  Susan Johnson 

Diagnosis: Traumatic Brain Injury
Age When Started Service: 54
Home: Isanti, MN
Services Received: Occupational, physical and speech therapies, Aquatics therapy
Outcomes: Improved memory, organization, sequencing capabilities

Long term reforms to our system are needed to solve our current budget crisis

SPECIFICS: System reforms giving people self-direction and control over the resources they qualify to receive are vital so that the most is made out of every dollar spent on disability services. Removing government from the process would let people who know their own needs make their own choices.

REAL LIFE:  Nathan Bauer

Diagnosis: Developmental Disability
Age When Started Services: 31
Home: Richfield, MN
Services Received: Housing Access Services
Outcomes: Moved from a group home to his own home, increased independence,
privacy, self confidence and responsibility