[CT-NFB] Please Ask Your Legislators to Restore Historical Funding to BESB for Adult Services
Juanita Collazo
cjuanita171 at comcast.net
Sat Mar 25 19:39:28 UTC 2023
I have a question for you. Is Senator Daric Slap part of that group of ledgislators? If so, then shouldn’t we go to our local senators for this? I do have to tell you that from what Margery Santos who is the new social worker at BESB has told me that they can’t order any more stuff such as canes and other types of stuff anymore. Okay? I would tell you some examples, If we need a cane or a replacement cane, we have to buy it. If we or I needed bump dots I have to buy them. So their policy has changed a lot and not for the good. Okay? I can send you a copy of what she has sent me. Okay? I will tell you Nathaniel that you are fighting for something that is a real need. Okay? If we don’t get anywhere with the senators and representives then go to the media.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Mar 23, 2023, at 9:15 PM, Nathanael T. Wales via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>
> Fellow Listers,
>
> As the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut has been discussing for several months, the amount of state funding for Adult Services at the Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB) has been reduced over the past 14 years, leaving services very limited and unable to catch up with inflation. Now is the time, if you haven’t done so already, to ask your legislators to restore historical levels of funding to Adult Services. For example, in 2009 the funding was $115,000, but for the past few years it has been less than $45,000, a 60% cut not even adding in inflation. The legislature is still debating the state budget, and they need to hear that adequate funding for access technology and training on it, training in effective orientation and mobility techniques, and other best practice adjustment to blindness programming are unmet needs in the state. And thank you also to those who already did so last month and even testified to the appropriations committee on March 1.
>
> I should note that many of us in the NFB of Connecticut were concerned also with another line item in the governor’s proposed budget: the one for vocational rehabilitation for BESB and sister bureaus in the Department of Aging and Disability Services. We have received helpful information that less funding is needed in the next biennium because there were unspent funds in the current biennium that are being carried forward; in other words, services will NOT be cut as we were seriously concerned about.
>
> This is especially important if either or both of your legislators serves on the Appropriations Committee. Please see below my template e-mail (or fax or snailmail letter) a list of appropriations committee members (and their districts—if you may know that). If you don’t know who your assembly representative and state senator are, you can find these at:
> https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp
> and selecting (where you are registered to vote or, if not registered to vote, your residence) your town, then street, then house number. Again, cross-reference with the table below to determine if either your assembly representative, state senator, or both are on the appropriations committee and therefore your e-mail should be edited a bit.
>
> Here is a template e-mail:
> ***
> [Your address]
>
> Dear Senator/Assembly Representative ___:
>
> As a constituent, I write to you to ask that state funding for the Department of Aging and Disability Services, Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind line item for Supplementary Relief and Services, often referred to as “adult services”, be restored to historically higher levels and adjusted for inflation, other economic factors, and the increasing elderly population. In 2022, Connecticut spent only $44,847 on services to this population (along with additional minimal Federal funding). However, in 2008 and 2009, the amount of funding provided by the state was $115,425, meaning that funding has been cut by over 60%. It is inconceivable that the population of aging residents experiencing vision loss has decreased by over 60% since 2009. Rather, our experience shows that it is only increasing.
>
> Consumers of adult services programs can only receive at best cursory services under this program. Additional funding could, for example, be well used to provide training in using assistive technology to access the Internet (for things such as grocery and pharmacy delivery services, banking, and accessing transportation). It could also be well used to provide cane travel instruction so that blind seniors can be confident traveling around their communities and prepare to, if they so choose, receive a guide dog.
>
> [Add in your own personal story of no or limited services or that of a blind senior.]
>
> Please ask the Appropriations Committee to restore and adequately increase this needed funding. And please vote only for a state budget that does so.
>
> Restoring and adequately increasing funding for adult services will enable the increasing population of blind seniors losing their vision to fully live the lives they want with a greater level of independence and dignity. As a constituent, I look forward to your response and action.
>
> [Your signature]
> ***
>
> Now here is that list of important appropriations committee members…
>
> S19 Co-Chair
> Osten, Catherine A.
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Osten
> D
> 093 Co-Chair
> Walker, Toni E.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Walker
> D
> S15 Vice Chair
> Hartley, Joan V.
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Hartley
> D
> 019 Vice Chair
> Exum, Tammy R.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/exum
> D
> 145 Vice Chair
> Paris, Corey P.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/paris
> D
> S32 Ranking Member
> Berthel, Eric C.
> http://www.ctsenaterepublicans.com/home-Berthel
> R
> 053 Ranking Member
> Nuccio, Tammy
> https://www.cthousegop.com/Nuccio
> R
> S03 Member
> Anwar, Saud
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/anwar
> D
> 124 Member
> Baker, Andre F.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Baker
> D
> 106 Member
> Bolinsky, Mitch
> http://www.cthousegop.com/Bolinsky/
> R
> 108 Member
> Callahan, Patrick E.
> https://www.cthousegop.com/Callahan
> R
> 095 Member
> Candelaria, Juan R.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Candelaria
> D
> 138 Member
> Chaleski, Rachel
> http://www.cthousegop.com/Chaleski
> R
> 011 Member
> Currey, Jeff
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Currey
> D
> 142 Member
> Dathan, Lucy
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/dathan
> D
> 048 Member
> DeCaprio, Mark
> http://www.cthousegop.com/decaprio/
> R
> 144 Member
> Delany, Hubert D.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/delany
> D
> 014 Member
> Delnicki, Tom
> http://www.cthousegop.com/Delnicki/
> R
> 092 Member
> Dillon, Patricia A.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Dillon
> D
> 130 Member
> Felipe, Antonio
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/felipe
> D
> S29 Member
> Flexer, Mae
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Flexer
> D
> 107 Member
> Foncello, Martin
> http://www.cthousegop.com/Foncello/
> R
> 060 Member
> Garibay, Jane M.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/garibay
> D
> 015 Member
> Gibson, Bobby G.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/gibson
> D
> 018 Member
> Gilchrest, Jillian
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/gilchrest
> D
> S35 Member
> Gordon, Jeff
> http://www.ctsenaterepublicans.com/home-gordon
> R
> 003 Member
> Gonzalez, Minnie
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Gonzalez
> D
> 054 Member
> Haddad, Gregory
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/haddad
> D
> 007 Member
> Hall, Joshua M.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Hall
> D
> 069 Member
> Harrison, Cindy
> https://www.cthousegop.com/Harrison
> R
> 078 Member
> Hoxha, Joe
> http://www.cthousegop.com/hoxha/
> R
> 049 Member
> Johnson, Susan M.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Johnson
> D
> 149 Member
> Khanna, Rachel
> https://www.housedems.ct.gov/khanna
> D
> 119 Member
> Kennedy, Kathy
> http://www.cthousegop.com/kennedy/
> R
> S24 Member
> Kushner, Julie
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/kushner
> D
> S09 Member
> Lesser, Matthew L.
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/lesser
> D
> S20 Member
> Marx, Martha
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/marx
> D
> 038 Member
> McCarty, Kathleen M.
> http://www.cthousegop.com/McCarty/
> R
> S02 Member
> McCrory, Douglas
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/McCrory
> D
> 039 Member
> Nolan, Anthony L.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/nolan
> D
> 094 Member
> Porter, Robyn A.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Porter
> D
> 016 Member
> Osborne, Melissa
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Osborne
> D
> 075 Member
> Reyes, Geraldo C.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Reyes
> D
> 128 Member
> Rosario, Christopher
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Rosario
> D
> 123 Member
> Rutigliano, David
> http://www.cthousegop.com/Rutigliano/
> R
> 139 Member
> Ryan, Kevin
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Ryan
> D
> 024 Member
> Sanchez, Emmanuel
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/SanchezM
> D
> S05 Member
> Slap, Derek
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/slap
> D
> 140 Member
> Simms, Travis
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/simms
> D
> S18 Member
> Somers, Heather S.
> http://www.ctsenaterepublicans.com/home-Somers
> R
> 026 Member
> Tercyak, Peter A.
> http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Tercyak
> D
> S10 Member
> Winfield, Gary A.
> http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Winfield
> D
> 061 Member
> Zawistowski, Tami
> http://www.cthousegop.com/Zawistowski/
> R
>
> Thank you in advance for contacting your legislators on this important issue for the blind in Connecticut. If you have any trouble contacting a legislator or using the information I’ve sent, feel free to contact me either on and off of the listserve.
>
> Best,
> Nathanael Wales
>
> _______________________________________________
> CT-NFB mailing list
> CT-NFB at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for CT-NFB:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/cjuanita171%40comcast.net
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/attachments/20230325/63e5c55d/attachment.html>
More information about the CT-NFB
mailing list