Disability Rights Advocacy Day and IDD Awareness Day
Celebrating Disability Rights Advocacy Day and IDD Awareness Day at the 麻豆传媒高清 Capitol
Apr 14, 2025
#DisabiiltyRights
#SocialSecurity
#Medicaid
#Advocacy
Written by Natalie Hamilton (she/her/hers), MD
The last few weeks have been a catalyst for change in the disability rights community. In 麻豆传媒高清 in March, we celebrated Disability Rights Advocacy Day and IDD Awareness Day at the 麻豆传媒高清 Capitol. There are multiple bills supported by the disability community. One of the major bills is HB25-1017, which is the Community Integration Plan for Individuals with Disabilities. There is concern that the federal government could overturn the Olmstead Act, which was enacted from a 1999 Supreme Court decision that mandates that individuals with disabilities have the right to receive care in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs, promoting community-based services over institutionalization.
The culmination of disability rights occurred in Washington DC this week at the Disability Policy Seminar. I was able to attend through JFK Partners (LEND) and University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). This is an interdisciplinary program that has provided me with invaluable skills and perspectives from multiple disciplines on how to best care for patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities. More than 900 advocates, supporters, and professionals from across the nation gathered for two days to learn about important disability policy issues. Their primary focus was on safeguarding Medicaid, a vital program that provides healthcare and home and community-based services to millions of children and adults with disabilities. We also discussed the dismantling of the Department of 麻豆传媒高清 and the concern for the Individuals with Disabilities 麻豆传媒高清 Act (IDEA), which is a federal law that ensures children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education tailored to their individual needs, including special education and related services, as well as Social Security concerns. As family medicine leaders this is an important time to make sure our voices are heard and that we advocate for our patients. I urge you to reach out to your legislators about the issues that are facing your patients and be allies for those who benefit significantly from these programs.