Arc of Nebraska urges support of amendment to end disability waiting list

The Arc of Nebraska advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Senator Machaela Cavanaugh has introduced AM 896 to LB 380 to fund Nebraska’s long-neglected Developmental Disabilities, Waiting List fully. For nearly 3000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this will make a tremendous difference in their lives, for The State of Nebraska, this means creating long-term savings in our Medicaid System, and for families, this means they can rest easier. The Arc of Nebraska is excited to see this critical step toward truly making sure that the State of Nebraska is supporting people with disabilities.

“In 1954 The Arc of Nebraska was formed to make sure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities could have access to supports in the community, in 1967 a report called “Out of the Darkness” detailed the horrific abuse at institutions, in 1991 we passed the Developmental Disability Services Act, and we hope that in 2021 we can finally eliminate the Developmental Disability Waiting List,” said Edison McDonald Executive Director of The Arc of Nebraska.

While the Nebraska Legislature has previously said that they would eliminate the Waiting List in LR 156 from 2008, the list has continued to grow, leading some families to have 6-8 year waits for vital services. This waiting list forces them to consider more expensive and segregated settings. This average cost per Nebraskan with a disability significantly increases if not provided timely and adequate supports. We must do better.