To the Editor:
Dear Governor Cuomo,
(Feb. 2015) I am a person with a disability. I have worked hard to be independent and not depend on my family for everything. But, I still need some help. Someday I would like to move into a supportive apartment and now I am worried that I will not be able to because of long waiting lists.
Governor Cuomo will you please stop vetoing bills that will help people with disabilities? I am lucky, I have a supportive family, and they care for me. I am worried because twenty or thirty years down the road I may not have a family to help me. Then what would I do? Families cannot be caregivers forever!
I work but I need help so I have a job coach. I need help when I go to a doctor’s appointment so I can better understand what I am being told. I need help traveling to new places so I don’t worry about getting lost. I need help with money management and shopping. I also need help with cooking and cleaning.
The one thing that I am proud of is that I can advocate for myself and other people. I am a member of the Madison County Motivators and a member of The Arc of Madison Cortland.
A lot of my friends have disabilities and many of them live at home with their parents who are older. I am worried about what will happen to them.
Sincerely,
Erica Ostwald, Madison County
I worked for forty years with special needs (disabilities) in Michigan. I saw what could be done if all people stepped out of the box and gave special needs citizens an opportunity. I worked with a student who fits the description in the letter to you. Take the opportunity and talk with him. You’ll change approaches, I’m sure.
My concerns, too, even though i live in another state. My family has its own problems and struggles and financial problems. Plus, i know from experience with my mother how abusive assisted living places/people are. Here in Florida, we have many services that help disabled people regardless of their age (like Granny-Nannies), but a person still has to be able to have the money to pay for them. That is one of my main reason that i am in a senior living community, involved in handicap designs for homes, and the “aging in place” principles (that can be applied to people with disabilities regardless of his/her age). I’ve tried to get involved with designing homes for the disabled and poverty level low&fixed income people, but i seem to hit walls and people who are money-making and wealthy-person focused instead of people-helping focused … although i am greatly limited about what i can do because of my own disabilities and inability to work because of them. Please keep me in the loop about what happens; i’m interested.