From the [Framingham, MA] MetroWest Daily News:

Hundreds of people with disabilities and their families gathered at the state capitol in Boston this week to protest proposed cuts in essential services for people with intellectual disabilities.

Organizers estimated that the state Department of Mental Retardation, which serves 30,000 people, has another 3,000 people on its waiting list.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed to cut $78 million, or 6.5 percent, of the more than $1.2 billion budget for DMR and disability services for the year starting July 1.

“We need these legislators to really be sensitive and considerate to some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Pat Pakos, a Sudbury member of Arc of Massachusetts, an advocacy organization that works with families whose children have disabilities. “We need to help them realize how great the need is.”

See also: Adults with disabilities protest at Oregon capitol – [Portland] Oregonian

(Photo from the Oregonian)

This entry was posted on Friday, March 6th, 2009 at 2:45 pm and is filed under budget, families, independent living, intellectual/developmental disabilities, waiting list/waivers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.