In Governor Quinn's budget message this past week, he talked about making "painful cuts" to the State of Illinois budget. A lot of that pain will happen to the deaf community! How?
1) SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR DEAF CHIDLREN: school districts are already cutting back on services to deaf children. Without enough funding, there will be fewer interpreters, fewer itinerant teachers, fewer audiological services for these children. Many of these deaf children also need counseling services. Right now in Illinois, mental health counseling for deaf children is inadequate. What will happen now?
2) MENTAL HEALTH: there are not enough programs right now to provide counseling for deaf people and deaf families. The proposed cuts would mean fewer counselors for deaf people. Also, deaf people would have to pay more for these services.
3) MEDICATIONS: the proposed budget would mean that the drug benefits for people with disabilities and senior citizens would become much more expensive.
4) DEAF SERVICES IN CILs(CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING): Most CILs in Illinois have a Deaf Service person. However, if the funding is cut for the CILs, what will happen to these deaf advocates?
5) INTERPRETERS: many agencies, schools, hospitals are complaining that their budgets are cut; they cannot afford to provide basic services. It will become harder for deaf people to get interpreters because these places will say, "sorry, we cannot afford to pay for interpreters for you." Interpreters will suffer because there will be fewer jobs.
WHAT TO DO?
During the next few months, STATE REPRESENTATIVES & STATE SENATORS will be running for re-election.Two people are running to be Governor. Other people will run to replace them. Ask these people, "what do YOU plan to do about the State budget?" It is NOT an acceptable answer for someone to say, "cut services!" Why? Because you and I know that whenever people in government cut services, who gets cut first? People with disabilities and people who are deaf! What is going on in Springfield right now impacts all of us in this community. Do NOT allow these people to"save money" by eliminating services to our deaf community!