This surprise appearance by the President of the United
States was the highlight of the day for many attendees, along with the
opportunity to interact with high level government officials about how they can
support people with I/DD to live in the community. Over the course of the day,
leaders of chapters of The Arc were briefed on topics ranging from Medicaid to
education to community living and employment for people with I/DD. Many of the
speakers, including President Obama, referenced the impact advocates made
during budget negotiations to protect Medicaid, and encouraged The Arc and
others to continue these efforts.
Another unannounced speaker was White House Chief of
Staff Jack Lew, who reiterated the President’s opposition to turning Medicaid
into a block grant. He also took questions from the audience, including Barbara
Coppens, a member of the national board of directors of The Arc and a
self-advocate who took the opportunity to speak about the importance of
self-advocacy by people with disabilities.
“I tell other self-advocates – you’ve got to get out
there and advocate for yourself because you can’t rely on other people to make
change for you,” said Coppens to Chief of Staff Jack Lew.
The day was organized by Kareem Dale, Special Assistant
to the President for Disability Policy, who kicked off the agenda by welcoming
guests and speaking about employment issues. The Arc heard from Cecilia Muñoz,
Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, who spoke of their
commitment to providing services and supports to all in need. Other speakers
included Carol Galante, Acting Assistant Secretary – Federal Housing
Administration Commissioner, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Cindy
Mann, Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Robert
Gordon, Executive Associate Director, Office of Management and Budget; and Tom
Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Department of Justice.
Assistant Attorney General Perez discussed the recent
Department of Justice settlement with the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding
people with I/DD who live in any of its five institutions who could live in the
community. He spoke about the bipartisan work going on across the country to
implement the Olmstead decision, which states that under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), unnecessarily institutionalizing a person with a
disability who, with proper support, is capable of and who wants to live in the
community can amount to discrimination.
After a tour of the East Wing of the White House,
advocates from The Arc took part in policy breakout sessions that allowed for
more detailed discussions on certain issue areas, like community living, family
caregiving, education, and Medicaid. The purpose of these briefings was to
allow White House and administration officials to engage in a dialogue with
leaders of The Arc about how government policies affect the lives of people
with I/DD and impact their ability to live full, independent lives. Given the
Department of Education’s announcement yesterday to allow ten states waivers
from some of the No Child Left Behind law requirements, the education session
with Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitation Services, was incredibly timely, as were meetings with
representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of
Justice, Administration on Aging, and the White House Domestic Policy
Council.“This unique, face-to-face opportunity to speak directly to people in
positions to make change from within the government allowed leaders of The Arc
to make the voices of the millions of people with I/DD heard at the White
House. Our network seized on this opportunity, and we left the White House
feeling a sense of accomplishment and inspiration for continued advocacy that
we will take back to our communities to help grow our movement,” said Peter V.
Berns, CEO of The Arc.
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