Advocates: Proposed Budget Sets Disability Policy Back

By: Virginia Butler, YNN Rochester

Part of Governor Paterson’s budget proposal is under fire by disability rights advocates.

In fact, they say the proposal concerning long-term care sets disability policy back 30 years, in part by its determination that some are “too disabled” for community living.

Chris Hilderbrant is director of advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights. Last November, the center developed a series of proposals to help contain the cost of long-term care.

Those proposals urged for a shift from an institutional model of care to a community-based model, by developing policies that promote consumer direction of services instead of more costly medical models of care.

But, the center says the administration has taken a step in the opposite direction, and is not the choice for those who need long-term care.

“They are trying to force people who have significant disabilities, greater than 12 hours of service a day, force them out of what’s called personal care, which is actually the most cost-effective means of delivering this service. And into other options many of which aren’t even options for these people,” Hilderbrant said.

Part of the snag in the proposal comes from regulations regarding the hours of care a person requires per day, and how that would force many from living in the most integrated setting possible, to nursing facilities.

The proposal is still just that, and Hilderbrant will be heading to Albany to argue against it.