The Messenger
A Newsletter From The Arc Dane County
Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 65 years


June 28, 2017 

Diversity is being invited to the party;
inclusion is being asked to dance.   
 
What's Happening at The Arc Dane County
Register Now for the 2017 Golf Outing!
Be ready for a day of fun at this 18-Hole Scramble Event!
  • 8am-9am Registration
  • 9:30am Shotgun Start
  • $5000 cash prize putting contest. 
  • Cash Prize for closest to the pin on a Par 3
  • Hole Prizes, Silent Auction, and Prize Drawings
Fees include the putting contest, greens fee, cart, lunch and a goodie bag.

Event Hosts:
Mitch Henk, The Mitch Henck Show
Leah Linscheid, WISC-TV News

Special Thanks to our Everybody's Golf Tourney
Major Sponsors:
       

In This Issue
Upcoming  Events
The Arc National Events
Advocacy
Tell Your Senators: NO Cuts to Medicaid
People's lives and independence are at stake! The Senate is working fast to pass a bill that will cut and cap Medicaid - a vote may happen as early as this Thursday.
This bill will have a devastating impact on people with disabilities and their families. You can read The Arc's statement about the bill here.

It is even worse than the bill the House passed which cuts Medicaid by over $830 billion.  The Senate bill makes even deeper cuts in the Medicaid program by lowering the cap and adding penalties for states who provide more generous benefits. The Senate bill also allows states to waive health care protections like coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and requirements that plans provide basic benefits

Your Senators must understand the importance of Medicaid in the lives of people with disabilities and their families so we can stop this dangerous health care legislation for good.

Click here to use our SIMPLE tool now to call your Senators now and tell them:
  • I am a member of The Arc.
  • I am a person with I/DD (or a family member of someone with I/DD, or a professional in the disability field).
  • I (or my family member) depend(s) on Medicaid long term supports (or home and community supports) to live in my/our community.
  • Please OPPOSE any legislation that will cut or cap Medicaid,
  • These types of cuts would be devastating to me/us and other people with disabilities and their families.  
More Summer Fun!
VSA Wisconsin
Early Childhood, Summer Art Center Classes

Accessible early childhood art and music classes are now available for children, ages 3-6, with disabilities, including learning disabilities, speech/communication disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, developmental disabilities and autism.  Typically developing children are also welcome.  Registration is open for the summer session - register today!  
 
The registration deadline is July 3, 2017.  
Your input is important! How can we support people with disabilities to have more choice over their lives?
 
The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD) was established to advocate on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, foster welcoming and inclusive communities, and improve the disability service system.  The Board is interested in learning more about the use of guardianship and supported decision making for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Wisconsin. This survey is intended to gather information from a variety of stakeholders about their knowledge of and experience(s) with Wisconsin's adult guardianship system and children transitioning into adulthood to assist BPDD in better understanding which issues should be prioritized for short-term and long-term planning and action. All responses and/or personal information provided will remain confidential. The survey should take 12-14 minutes to complete. Thanks you for your assistance with this important project.
 
PLEASE use the link below to take a quick survey about Guardianship alternatives in Wisconsin. Your input is important to us. Feel Free to share this survey with your networks as you deem appropriate.
 
 
Survey responses will be collected through August 1, 2017.
News & Quick Links
Health Care/Medicaid - Senate Version of Health Care/Medicaid Bill Released, Drawing Condemnation from Disability Advocates
On June 22, 2017, the Senate Budget Committee released a discussion draft of health care reform legislation, the "Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017."  Some Senators are claiming that provisions have been added to this bill to protect people with disabilities. However, provisions related to people with disabilities are wholly inadequate.  Click here to see key points on why the disability provisions fail to provide any meaningful protections for people with disabilities.

The Senate draft is substantially similar to the harmful bill (H.R 1628) passed by the House in May.  Among other things, both measures radically restructure the financing of the Medicaid program to pay for the repeal of the tax provisions and other revenue producing provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  As a result, deep cuts to health care and community living supports for low income people would be used to fund tax breaks that largely benefit corporations and wealthy individuals.

Reactions to the Senate draft were swift and overwhelmingly negative from the disability community and others, evidenced by a highly-publicized protest in the Senate. Click here to watch MSNBC's coverage of the protest which included numerous arrests and an extensive analysis of Medicaid's significance to people with disabilities.

As The Arc's CEO Peter Berns noted in his statement on the day the Senate draft was released, "This bill will have a devastating impact on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Make no mistake - people's lives and independence are on the line."
The Arc Dane County | (608) 833-1199
6602 Grand Teton Plaza | Madison, WI 53719