UPDATE: Call-ins are temporarily cancelled and will resume shortly.
Coping with a global pandemic is hard enough without losing access to the services that keep us independent and in the community. Some of our community members are facing dangerous losses to their home- and community-based services. These are vital programs that support people with disabilities to participate in society, and keep us out of institutions — where COVID-19 outbreaks are surging. That’s why every Tuesday, starting June 2nd, we’ll be hosting a COVID-19 Call-In to tell the Senate we need a coronavirus relief package that includes emergency funding for home- and community-based services. Sign up at our Facebook page here, and get ready to call your Senators!
This is a matter of life and death for our community: Congress must provide emergency funding for home- and community-based services NOW. The House of Representatives has already put HCBS funding into their coronavirus relief package, but the Senate has indicated that they may not do the same. Despite the urgent need, they may not pass a bill at all. We need to remind them to do their jobs and save our community members’ lives.
Find your two Senators using this link. You can use our script to call your Senators:
My name is [your full name], and I am from [city]. I’m calling to ask Senator [Name] to pass a coronavirus relief package that includes Medicaid funding for home- and community-based services for people with disabilities. Many people with disabilities rely on these services to do things like get dressed, go to work, and take care of their families. But without emergency funding, agencies that provide these supports are starting to close. People with disabilities risk being forced into institutions, where they would be at much greater risk of catching COVID-19. This is a matter of life and death for my community. We must pass a new relief bill with emergency funding for home- and community-based services. Can I count on the Senator’s support?
Have call anxiety, or wondering what to expect from a call to your elected officials? Check out this guide to making a call to your members of Congress. Unable to speak on a phone call due to a disability? Check out our Proxy Calling System here. Want to help someone else make a call? Consider signing up to be a proxy caller.
After you’ve called in, let us know how it went on our Facebook event.
Community integration, and access to the services we depend on, are our civil rights. Let’s tell our Senators that when it comes to keeping us all safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, we refuse to leave anyone behind.