[nfbmi-talk] a release from obama

[Christine Boone]

Joe
I see that the amount for independent living services to older blind is listed as $34 million.   That is also the current funding level for this program.  So, I wonder if this is actually an increase, or just this year's budgeted amount.  
   , 

On Feb 16, 2011, at 3:53 PM, joe harcz Comcast wrote:

> I find the proposed increases for elderly blind and other items here quite interesting.
> 
> Joe
> PRESS RELEASE
> 
> 2/15/2011
> 
> For Immediate Release
> Contact:
> Javier Robles, J.D.
> 
> Thisabled
> 
> U.S. President's Disability Budget
> Winning the Future for People with Disabilities
> 
> The Federal Budget
> Fiscal Year 2012
> 
> Having emerged from the worst recession in generations, the President has put forward a plan to rebuild our economy and win the future by out-innovating,
> out-educating, and out-building our global competitors and creating the jobs and industries of tomorrow. But we cannot rebuild our economy and win the
> future if we pass on a mountain of debt to our children and grandchildren. We must restore fiscal responsibility, and reform our government to make it
> more effective, efficient, and open to the American people. The President's 2012 Budget is a responsible approach that puts the nation on a path to live
> within our means so we can invest in our future - by cutting wasteful spending and making tough choices on some things we cannot afford, while keeping
> the investments we need to grow the economy and create jobs. It targets scarce federal resources to the areas critical to winning the future: education,
> innovation, clean energy, and infrastructure. And it proposes to reform how Washington does business, putting more federal funding up for competition,
> cutting waste, and reorganizing government so that it better serves the American people.
> 
> To win the future for people with disabilities, the Budget will:
> 
> Increase Funding for the Education of Children with Disabilities. The Budget provides a $200 million increase for the Individuals with Disabilities Education
> Act (IDEA) State Grants to provide a high quality education and help offset State and local education costs for children with disabilities. The Budget
> also provides a $50 million (11 percent) increase for the IDEA Infants and Families Program to provide the youngest children a good start. In addition,
> a new $30 million joint pilot, Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE), will develop and evaluate innovative approaches to improving outcomes of
> children receiving Supplemental Security Income and their families.
> Encourage Workforce Innovation. The Budget provides almost $380 million to the Departments of Education and Labor, for a Workforce Innovation Fund to support
> reforms of the workforce system, including projects that improve education and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The Vocational Rehabilitation
> program will contribute $30 million, and use its expertise to help ensure that the Fund invests in innovative programs and evidence-based practices to
> provide high-quality employment services to individuals with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities.
> 
> Support Workers with Disabilities. The Budget provides $24 million to the Department of Labor for the Disability Employment Initiative, which awards grants
> to build the capacity of One-Stop Career Centers to serve individuals with disabilities. The Budget also proposes a new Disability Insurance Work Incentives
> Simplification Pilot to make the Social Security work rules more straightforward and allow beneficiaries more flexibility to try to work without fear of
> losing their benefits.
> 
> Reduce Social Security Claims Backlog. Disability programs are at the forefront of the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) operations. The Budget funds
> SSA to lower the initial claims backlog to 650,000 by processing over three million claims. By hearing approximately 822,500
> cases in 2012, the wait time for a decision will fall below a year for the first time in a decade. In addition, the Administration will establish a Disability
> Research Center through SSA's research office. This Center will work across agencies and in collaboration with outside researchers to improve the quality
> of disability research.
> 
> Expand Disability Research. The Budget provides $120 million for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), including $10
> million to support a new cloud computing initiative that uses the internet infrastructure to improve technology access through the development, implementation,
> and delivery of mechanisms that will provide on-demand accessibility for everyone who faces technology accessibility barriers. NIDRR conducts comprehensive
> and coordinated programs of research and related activities to maximize the full inclusion, social integration, employment, and independent living of individuals
> with disabilities of all ages.
> 
> Strengthen Independent Living. The Budget includes more than $103 million for Grants for Independent Living program that would provide formula grants to
> States to support the provision of independent living services through centers for independent living. The Budget also provides an additional $34 million
> for independent living services for older individuals who are blind. In addition, the President's six-year, $556 billion surface transportation reauthorization
> proposal supports investments to provide individuals, including the elderly and the disabled, with access to more transportation options, making our communities
> more livable. That proposal will include an unprecedented funding commitment for transit programs.
> 
> Assist Programs for Youth with Disabilities. The 2012 Budget maintains funding for the Special Olympics at $8 million through the Department of Education.
> The Budget also provides $5 million for a new program: Mentoring for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Both programs would support activities
> to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life, including recreation,
> education, and employment.
> 
> Strengthen Anti-Discrimination Enforcement. Even in tough budget times, the substantial investments that have been made by the Administration to strengthen
> civil rights enforcement against racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, disability, religious, and gender discrimination continue in the 2012 Budget. The
> Budget proposes an increase for the Community Relations Service in the Department of Justice to fight hate crimes and provides an $18 million, a 5 percent
> increase over the 2010 enacted level, for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is responsible for enforcing Federal laws that make
> it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee. This investment will allow EEOC to add additional staff to reduce the agency's backlog
> of private-sector discrimination charges.
> 
> Provide Housing for Persons with Disabilities. Because difficult choices had to be made in order to invest in programs that would yield the highest returns,
> the Budget provides a total of $196 million for the Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program, which is a $104 million cut relative to the 2010 enacted
> level. The majority of the overall reduction reflects a shift in funding to the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance account to support Mainstream Vouchers for
> persons with disabilities. The Budget includes $85 million to support existing units and $111 million for new construction and expansion activities. The
> Administration is committed to working with Congress to update and reform these programs so that project sponsors can maximize use of the funding for new
> construction by effectively leveraging and targeting investments based on need and by providing residents access to key services required to live independently.
> 
> Expand Research into Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The Budget continues to expand research, detection, treatment, and other activities related to improving
> the lives of individuals and families affected by ASD through increasing funding for programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for
> Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services Administration. NIH will pursue comprehensive and innovative approaches to defining
> the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to ASD, investigate epigenomic changes in the brain, and accelerate clinical trials of novel pharmacological
> and behavioral interventions by 2016. NIH will continue to investigate environmental factors, early detection, and novel treatments to transform our understanding
> of ASD.
> 
> Help Families Care for Aging and Relatives with Disabilities. The Budget includes $96 million for the Administration's Caregiver Initiative, an effort to
> expand help to families and seniors so that caregivers can better manage their multiple responsibilities and seniors can live in the community for as long
> as possible. Without creating new programs, this initiative provides new resources to support the network of agencies in local communities across the country
> that already provide critical help to seniors and caregivers.
> 
> Support for Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce. In July 2010, the President signed an Executive Order to increase Federal employment
> of individuals with disabilities and the Budget provides funds to the Office of Personnel Management to implement that Executive Order.
> 
> Expand Passenger Rail Options. The President's surface transportation reauthorization proposal includes funding to eliminate the longstanding ADA gap at
> intercity passenger rail stations. Overall, the Administration's reauthorization provides $53 billion over six years for intercity passenger rail, putting
> the country on track toward a system that gives 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years - and would provide many citizens with
> disabilities access to an additional, convenient transportation option.
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
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