Your Advocacy Matters!

 

Image: Abby Gunther 

 

On July 8th, Going Home Coalition welcomed presenter, Abby Gunther, who is a Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) at the Illinois Assistive Technology Program (IATP) and a Partners in Policymaking Graduate. 

Abby’s presentation covered the topic, “I want to work! How do I work and not lose my benefits?”  

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear from self-advocates and people who provide support for them.  This presentation was an introduction to the Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA) Program. WIPA is funded by the Social Security Administration and provides free, individualized counseling to those receiving a Social Security disability benefit who are working or want to work. Participants learned how working and earning income affect their Social Security and other benefits, including Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and others.  Most importantly, participants learned how to get connected to the WIPA Program and a Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC), who can provide them free, individualized counseling so that they don’t need to navigate the benefits system alone. This type of information, while complex to navigate, is essential for people to understand to maximize opportunities in the community. 

 

On July 9, a live virtual event focused on Medicaid with Congresswoman Delia Ramirez took place. 

This event provided a platform for Congresswoman Ramirez to discuss the latest developments in Washington, D.C., specifically related to Medicaid and its impact on our communities. 

As advocates for equitable healthcare, it’s crucial to stay informed and engaged. Following Congresswoman Ramirez’s insights, our Family to Family Director, Susan Agrawal, PhD, along with the staff from The Arc of Illinois, joined the conversation to explore ongoing advocacy efforts surrounding Medicaid. 

Click here to continue to share your Medicaid stories! 

July 3, 2025 

Carole Rosen 

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." 

Freedom also requires decency.  

As our nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, a holiday that symbolizes freedom, inclusion, and equality, Going Home Coalition is outraged by the passage of a budget bill that strikes at the very heart of these ideals. Slashing Medicaid by approximately 900 billion dollars and SNAP by approximately 200 billion dollars over the next decade endangers the health, safety, and future of millions of Americans. Approximately 25% of the United States population, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), children, older adults, and veterans, rely on these critical supports to live and thrive. 

In Illinois, there are over 3,400,000 individuals who rely on Medicaid. It is the underpinning of healthcare, many early intervention services, waiver services, and direct supports that sustain many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Medicaid is not a luxury. It is a lifeline.  

Cuts to Medicaid will likely be of great detriment to an already fragile system.  When states reduced Home and Community Based Services between 2010 and 2012 after the American Rescue and Recover Act of 2009, Illinois saw an erosion of home and community-based supports (HCBS). There is also information on the preventable deaths which will increase with cuts to Medicaid.  In Illinois, many individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities wait for access to waiver funding, housing, and other supports needed to keep them out of more restrictive settings and state operated developmental centers. Going Home Coalition's mission advocates for individuals' rights to live in the community with opportunity, dignity, and inclusion.  

I honor you, Going Home Coalition members, and your unwavering advocacy these last months. I have never been so proud to walk beside you and so moved by your tireless leadership and willingness to fight for decency.  Hundreds of you raised your voices, shared your stories, met with your legislators, and fought with dignity for justice in the face of callous policymaking. Your advocacy as self-advocates, family members, and allies across Illinois demonstrated that you are champions of freedom in word and action. 

Going Home Coalition will continue to advocate that Illinois systems in place continue to be strengthened—not dismantled— and that these supports assure that people with IDD can fully participate in their communities. 

Your advocacy and courage are sacred.  

Breathe and rest.  

Be ready to rise and remember, Your Advocacy Matters! 

As famed activist Fannie Lou Hamer said, “No one is truly free unless everyone is free.” 

Sending you heartfelt gratitude and strength, 

Carole 

How can non-profits (501(c)(3)s) Hold Elected Officials Accountable is an important question, we may be asking ourselves. 

Click here to read an article by Alliance for Justice as a resource. 

Going Home Coalition is 100% Funded Through Grants and Donations

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to GHC. Your donations are deeply appreciated.  Please consider a donation today! 

 

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