Advocates for Disabled Press Governor on Personal Care

Rachel Ward (2010-02-02)
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Lobbyists for New York’s disabled communities were in Albany on Monday, to push for changes in the governor’s proposed budget.

Chris Hilderbrant is the director of advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester. He says advocates for the disabled are concerned about the governor’s proposal to cut personal care funding for individuals who receive assistance for more than 12 hours a day.

Hilderbrant says his half-hour meeting with the governor went longer than he’d expected – but didn’t end with any promises.

“It was dialog – we definitely didn’t get the resolutions that we wanted … they have yet to retract their proposal. But … the governor expressed the proposal could have impact that they weren’t intending. That they didn’t mean it to hurt anybodies services, they were hearing from us our concerns about the impact, and they were willing to both look at their proposal further, and look at the counter proposals that we have put forward.”

Hilderbrant says advocates are going to push hard during budget negotiations, to make their voices heard.

He says he’s already had some positive feedback from members of the Senate and Assembly, who agree that cutting personal care could wind up costing the state more than it saves – and force some disabled people from their homes, into facilities. © Copyright 2010, WXXI