By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-959848.mp3
Dallas, TX – Some five thousand people turned out in downtown Dallas over the weekend at the annual "March for Respect". It's a show of support for people with developmental disabilities, and this year it doubled as a message to lawmakers in Austin - do not cut funding for the most vulnerable. KERA's BJ Austin reports.
The marchers celebrated similarities not differences among participants - everyone enjoying the excitement and entertainment.
Sherry Wacasey: So often we don't intermix with people who are a little bit different than us and when we get together, we find out that everybody is, really, mostly just alike.
Sherry Wacasey, with ARC, is the event organizer. She says state funding cuts being considered by the Legislature also figured prominently into this year's March for Respect.
Wacasey: Texas already ranks last in the country providing services for people with developmental disabilities and a budget cut is just going to be devastating.
Jason Berry is CEO of Berry Family Services. It's a Rowlett company that provides home healthcare for the disabled. He says the House appropriations committee budget makes deep cuts - including a 43% reduction in funding for the Home and Community Services program, which helps keep patients out of nursing homes or other institutions. He says such a cut would be a tragedy for many families he knows, including Danny and his mom.
Berry: He's 26 years old. He's in wheelchair. It's total care for his mother. She can't work and take care of him. So, if the money's cut she has no choice but to go back to work and institutionalize her son.
Berry says he is very pleased the Senate subcommittee on Medicaid did NOT cut the funding for home health care. He's organizing a group of parents and providers to go to Austin Wednesday to testify before that committee.
Education cuts also have parents of special needs students worried. April West's 16 year old son Daniel doesn't speak, but smiles and gives "hugs". Sometimes he will hit or bite himself. West is worried state budget cuts could force local districts to eliminate teaching assistants in order to save teacher jobs. She says that would not be good at all for Daniel.
West: He's quite often a one-on-one person. He has a lot of behaviors that need attention at all times. And I would just hate to have it that at school he's really uncomfortable and unhappy and injuring himself because he's lost the assistance he needs.
Kelly Waterman from Plano says her 15 year old daughter Sarah is a freshman at Shepton High School and is thriving.
Sarah Waterman: Yeah, and it's so cool too.
But, Kelly Waterman worries the great environment for Sarah will be upset because of funding issues.
Waterman: I'm fearful, but at the same time I'm hopeful. I know they are going to do everything they can to minimize the impact.
Jason Berry says he encourages every parent to call lawmakers and tell them how the cuts will impact their families.
Berry: The more people that will call their representatives and call their Senators once a week -- I know a lot of people think that doesn't do any good. But it does a lot of good. It does a lot of good. So we've got to keep that going.
The House version of the budget, with severe cuts to education and Medicaid heads to the floor for a vote this week. Meanwhile, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst is banking on a special committee to find at least five billion dollars in non-tax revenue to help fill a budget gap as large as 27 Billion. The Lt. Governor is optimistic the state can avoid devastating cuts.