The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is hearing serious concern from Centers for Independent Living (CILs), our individual members, and the disability community about the approaching “fiscal cliff.” Last week NCIL released a brief alert with guidance on what the fiscal cliff will mean in terms of federal funding for Centers. The bottom line is that if a deal is not reached by Congress and the Administration to avert a crisis, $8.4 million in funding for America’s Independent Living Program will be at stake in the coming year, and it gets even worse.
Today is the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Day of Action on the Fiscal Cliff, and we want you to participate! We want our members to Tweet and Re-Tweet posts on Twitter demanding action. Use the hashtag #CCD. Also, be sure to contact Speaker Boehner and President Obama on Facebook. Here is a sample message:
“I want to make sure you know how important federal programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, early intervention, special education, vocational rehabilitation, housing, veterans’ services, transportation and more are to millions of Americans with disabilities and their families. These programs don’t just provide services to people with disabilities — they provide a lifeline for millions of families. Please make sure that funding is protected and programs remain strong in the coming deficit reduction debate.
I urge you to preserve critical funding for the life-changing programs that support families with disabilities, and ask that you respond to my message when it’s received.”
