WEBVTT
00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:08.640
Ronda Santis, Florida's governor, has signed Florida's 2026 to 2027 budget for the fiscal year.
00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:17.359
In this most recent budget,$10 million will be allocated to providing additional services to those with disabilities in the state of Florida.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:23.519
This budget will support those with disabilities through the home and community-based services waiver.
00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:30.160
This allows and supports the notion that individuals with disabilities will receive services wherever they reside.
00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:48.320
These services include, but are not limited to personal care and assistance with activities of daily living, adult day care, adult day health care, home-delivered meals, skilled nursing visits in the home, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
00:00:48.719 --> 00:01:11.120
It also includes assistive devices and DME or durable medical equipment, as well as home modifications for accessibility, respite care for family members and caregivers, transportation to medical appointments, case management, care coordination, and nursing facility care when community placement is no longer possible.
00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:21.760
While this budget aims to assist more than 20,000 Floridians on the waiting list for services, there are some skeptics that believe this monetary help is not sufficient.
00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:44.560
Pamela Payne, CEO of the ARC of Palm Beach County, which is an organization that provides over 2,500 individuals with disabilities and their families, states that infrastructure and overhead are just as vital as these services themselves, and they need to be accounted for when trying to implement more disability support throughout the state.
00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:50.879
Lastly, there are some additional services that are being supported by this most recent budget.
00:01:51.200 --> 00:02:00.879
This includes uniform provider rate increase, the Managed Care Pilot Program, iConnect, and iBudget waiver programs.
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:22.080
Some services that were vetoed or cut from the budget included the Innovative Service Development, which allows for individuals to order door-to-door rides, equine therapy and cooking classes, job training, rural employment, and an expansion at a school for students with autism are no longer funded.
00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:30.159
It should be noted that the budget cuts were much smaller when added up compared to the services supported by Florida's most recent budget.
00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:40.319
We will now hear from John Robinson, founder and CEO of Our Ability, on his thoughts regarding how governmental budgets affect those with disabilities.
00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:56.400
In response to Florida's most recent increase of$10 million for individuals with disabilities for home services, as spelled out by Anne, it is both a positive and can be perceived as a negative.
00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:58.319
And let me explain.
00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:17.759
I mentioned in our last podcast the lack of support of potentially supporting home services for individuals with disabilities by the legal opinion provided in the federal government, and talked about the direct impact that can have on individuals with disabilities down the road, i.e., eugenics, i.e.
00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:18.639
Germany, i.e.
00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:21.360
institutionalization in the United States.
00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:25.120
The faster impact will be on states.
00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:35.120
And so what you're going to find are state budgets that need to be increased to support individuals with disabilities across the board.
00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:43.439
The reason that's going to happen is because in states, it's understood that individuals with disabilities are your brothers and sisters and neighbors.
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:48.960
And so they're very real people to your state legislature, your state senate, your state governor's office.
00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:58.240
It's one thing to be an arm's length away in Washington, D.C., but when you're in Tallahassee or Albany, it's the people that you know that receive those services.
00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:06.319
So it's not a surprise to me that the Florida budget increased by$10 million to support services for individuals with disabilities.
00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:15.840
It's also not a surprise to me that the Ark of Florida and Palm Beach, and I believe that was the one that was quoted, says that more money is needed.
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:18.160
Absolutely more money is needed.
00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:24.959
And it also, it's not a surprise to me that they talk about the infrastructure of the Arcs that needs to be supported as well.
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:26.800
And that may be true also.
00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:28.639
I don't want to diminish that.
00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:31.199
So here's the victory.
00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:38.319
The state of Florida, which has been very conservative and will continue to be conservative, is increasing dollars.
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:39.920
That's a plus.
00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:43.040
So we shouldn't, we shouldn't be upset at an increase.
00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:43.920
Could it be more?
00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:44.480
Absolutely.
00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:48.560
Could be there more, could there be more services and support for disability organizations?
00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:52.959
Absolutely, but it is in an increase, and we should recognize that.
00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:56.800
So let's let's please let's please do that for a second.
00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:01.680
Also, let's also take into consideration where we have come from.
00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:04.800
It's mentioned about the ARC at Palm Beach.
00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:10.720
If you don't know, the ARCs or the ARCs are what they're called now, but they used to be the ARCs.
00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:17.839
ARC used to stand for it was Capital A, Capital R, Capital C, and now it's capital A, little R, little C.
00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:24.319
They've transitioned into the name ARC as overarching support of individuals with disabilities.
00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:25.839
A smart move.
00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:45.040
But in the past, the ARCs were associations of retarded citizens, and they were started as community organizations by family members, by parents of individuals with disabilities with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and they were support organizations in a community, and this is how they started.
00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:58.959
Almost in each community around the United States, each county, each parish, there was an ARC that was started by family members to support living opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:01.920
That's a wonderful thing.
00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:06.000
They started that in part because of the ADA.
00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:12.160
And so now today we're seeing larger disability organizations that are supporting our community.
00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:13.439
That's great.
00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:32.399
But what you're gonna find as the federal government shrinks, and that's what conservatives voted for, was a smaller federal government, you're gonna find more uh uh more pressure on state governments, county governments, city governments to fill the gap.
00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:41.519
And that means that there's gonna be more finances needed in state government to support individuals with disabilities and their family members.
00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:46.480
You're starting to see some real pressure financially in local communities.
00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:48.560
And let me give you an example.
00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:57.759
In July alone, there were 50,000 municipality jobs lost around the country that were in the education system.
00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:03.759
50,000 public school jobs lost in the United States just in July.
00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:05.279
Why?
00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:14.879
Budget cuts, but budget cuts in the federal government that then translates down to state governments, which translates down to municipalities.
00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:20.800
Municipalities have less money, and so there's less money to spend in public schools.
00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:26.240
Do you suppose it's the best teachers that get cut, the administrators that get cut?
00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:26.959
No.
00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:38.399
It is the support staff, it's the nursing staff, it's the staff that supports those of us that may need it the most.
00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:45.120
Those of us with IEPs, those of us in transition programs, i.e., students with disabilities.
00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:48.639
So you're starting to see direct ramification.
00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:54.480
And state governments and state capitals like Tallahassee and Albany cannot pick up the gap.
00:07:54.560 --> 00:08:00.000
That's why you saw 50,000 people laid off in July in municipalities in the education system.
00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:01.920
And you're going to continue to see that.
00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:09.199
And it's not just going to be education, it's going to be in the healthcare system and support staffs for individuals with disabilities across the board.
00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:12.639
So again, I applaud Tallahassee for adding$10 million.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:21.519
But the reality is what you're seeing is a direct ramification of the lack of support for the American with Disabilities Act.
00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:35.440
And so as you vote, as you volunteer, as you ally, remember the ADA is the law, but it's going to take more lawsuits to get up to the Supreme Court to support the ADA.
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:37.759
And that's an onus on us.
00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:39.759
Thank you for listening.
00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:08.640
Ronda Santis, Florida's governor, has signed Florida's 2026 to 2027 budget for the fiscal year.
00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:17.359
In this most recent budget,$10 million will be allocated to providing additional services to those with disabilities in the state of Florida.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:23.519
This budget will support those with disabilities through the home and community-based services waiver.
00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:30.160
This allows and supports the notion that individuals with disabilities will receive services wherever they reside.
00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:48.320
These services include, but are not limited to personal care and assistance with activities of daily living, adult day care, adult day health care, home-delivered meals, skilled nursing visits in the home, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
00:00:48.719 --> 00:01:11.120
It also includes assistive devices and DME or durable medical equipment, as well as home modifications for accessibility, respite care for family members and caregivers, transportation to medical appointments, case management, care coordination, and nursing facility care when community placement is no longer possible.
00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:21.760
While this budget aims to assist more than 20,000 Floridians on the waiting list for services, there are some skeptics that believe this monetary help is not sufficient.
00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:44.560
Pamela Payne, CEO of the ARC of Palm Beach County, which is an organization that provides over 2,500 individuals with disabilities and their families, states that infrastructure and overhead are just as vital as these services themselves, and they need to be accounted for when trying to implement more disability support throughout the state.
00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:50.879
Lastly, there are some additional services that are being supported by this most recent budget.
00:01:51.200 --> 00:02:00.879
This includes uniform provider rate increase, the Managed Care Pilot Program, iConnect, and iBudget waiver programs.
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:22.080
Some services that were vetoed or cut from the budget included the Innovative Service Development, which allows for individuals to order door-to-door rides, equine therapy and cooking classes, job training, rural employment, and an expansion at a school for students with autism are no longer funded.
00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:30.159
It should be noted that the budget cuts were much smaller when added up compared to the services supported by Florida's most recent budget.
00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:40.319
We will now hear from John Robinson, founder and CEO of Our Ability, on his thoughts regarding how governmental budgets affect those with disabilities.
00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:56.400
In response to Florida's most recent increase of$10 million for individuals with disabilities for home services, as spelled out by Anne, it is both a positive and can be perceived as a negative.
00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:58.319
And let me explain.
00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:17.759
I mentioned in our last podcast the lack of support of potentially supporting home services for individuals with disabilities by the legal opinion provided in the federal government, and talked about the direct impact that can have on individuals with disabilities down the road, i.e., eugenics, i.e.
00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:18.639
Germany, i.e.
00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:21.360
institutionalization in the United States.
00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:25.120
The faster impact will be on states.
00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:35.120
And so what you're going to find are state budgets that need to be increased to support individuals with disabilities across the board.
00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:43.439
The reason that's going to happen is because in states, it's understood that individuals with disabilities are your brothers and sisters and neighbors.
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:48.960
And so they're very real people to your state legislature, your state senate, your state governor's office.
00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:58.240
It's one thing to be an arm's length away in Washington, D.C., but when you're in Tallahassee or Albany, it's the people that you know that receive those services.
00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:06.319
So it's not a surprise to me that the Florida budget increased by$10 million to support services for individuals with disabilities.
00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:15.840
It's also not a surprise to me that the Ark of Florida and Palm Beach, and I believe that was the one that was quoted, says that more money is needed.
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:18.160
Absolutely more money is needed.
00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:24.959
And it also, it's not a surprise to me that they talk about the infrastructure of the Arcs that needs to be supported as well.
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:26.800
And that may be true also.
00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:28.639
I don't want to diminish that.
00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:31.199
So here's the victory.
00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:38.319
The state of Florida, which has been very conservative and will continue to be conservative, is increasing dollars.
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:39.920
That's a plus.
00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:43.040
So we shouldn't, we shouldn't be upset at an increase.
00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:43.920
Could it be more?
00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:44.480
Absolutely.
00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:48.560
Could be there more, could there be more services and support for disability organizations?
00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:52.959
Absolutely, but it is in an increase, and we should recognize that.
00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:56.800
So let's let's please let's please do that for a second.
00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:01.680
Also, let's also take into consideration where we have come from.
00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:04.800
It's mentioned about the ARC at Palm Beach.
00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:10.720
If you don't know, the ARCs or the ARCs are what they're called now, but they used to be the ARCs.
00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:17.839
ARC used to stand for it was Capital A, Capital R, Capital C, and now it's capital A, little R, little C.
00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:24.319
They've transitioned into the name ARC as overarching support of individuals with disabilities.
00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:25.839
A smart move.
00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:45.040
But in the past, the ARCs were associations of retarded citizens, and they were started as community organizations by family members, by parents of individuals with disabilities with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and they were support organizations in a community, and this is how they started.
00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:58.959
Almost in each community around the United States, each county, each parish, there was an ARC that was started by family members to support living opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:01.920
That's a wonderful thing.
00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:06.000
They started that in part because of the ADA.
00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:12.160
And so now today we're seeing larger disability organizations that are supporting our community.
00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:13.439
That's great.
00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:32.399
But what you're gonna find as the federal government shrinks, and that's what conservatives voted for, was a smaller federal government, you're gonna find more uh uh more pressure on state governments, county governments, city governments to fill the gap.
00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:41.519
And that means that there's gonna be more finances needed in state government to support individuals with disabilities and their family members.
00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:46.480
You're starting to see some real pressure financially in local communities.
00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:48.560
And let me give you an example.
00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:57.759
In July alone, there were 50,000 municipality jobs lost around the country that were in the education system.
00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:03.759
50,000 public school jobs lost in the United States just in July.
00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:05.279
Why?
00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:14.879
Budget cuts, but budget cuts in the federal government that then translates down to state governments, which translates down to municipalities.
00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:20.800
Municipalities have less money, and so there's less money to spend in public schools.
00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:26.240
Do you suppose it's the best teachers that get cut, the administrators that get cut?
00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:26.959
No.
00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:38.399
It is the support staff, it's the nursing staff, it's the staff that supports those of us that may need it the most.
00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:45.120
Those of us with IEPs, those of us in transition programs, i.e., students with disabilities.
00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:48.639
So you're starting to see direct ramification.
00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:54.480
And state governments and state capitals like Tallahassee and Albany cannot pick up the gap.
00:07:54.560 --> 00:08:00.000
That's why you saw 50,000 people laid off in July in municipalities in the education system.
00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:01.920
And you're going to continue to see that.
00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:09.199
And it's not just going to be education, it's going to be in the healthcare system and support staffs for individuals with disabilities across the board.
00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:12.639
So again, I applaud Tallahassee for adding$10 million.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:21.519
But the reality is what you're seeing is a direct ramification of the lack of support for the American with Disabilities Act.
00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:35.440
And so as you vote, as you volunteer, as you ally, remember the ADA is the law, but it's going to take more lawsuits to get up to the Supreme Court to support the ADA.
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:37.759
And that's an onus on us.
00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:39.759
Thank you for listening.
