Dear Friends,

This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. Please comment on Obama/Biden's website for change and transition
about medicaid waivers for people with developmental delays. It is important to make our loved one's
needs known to the new administration. It is in our hands to make this a priority for the most vulnerable
people in our society that do not know how to advocate for themselves.

Thank you for your support and participation in addressing this issue.

Sincerely,
Donna Prenta

https://www.change.org/ideas/view/fully_fund_medicaid_waivers_for_the_developmentally_disabled

NDSC Meets with Obama-Biden Transition Team

On December 17, 2008 Susan Goodman, Director of NDSC Governmental
Affairs and Tonia Ferguson, NDSC Board member met with the Obama-
Biden transition team, along with the ARC/UCP, American Association
for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, and the National Down
Syndrome Society. We met with Kareem Dale, Disability Coordinator
in the Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs Department,
Sharon Lewis, Department of Education Agency Review Team and Henry
Claypool, HHS Agency Review Advisor and Marcie Roth, Civil Rights
Review Team.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Presidential
transition and broad disability policy issues. The issues we raised
and discussed were lack of inclusive opportunities, quality
instruction and accountability in education for students with
disabilities and, in addition, lack of job and community living
opportunities for adults with disabilities.

All groups were in agreement about the crisis in adult services that
is resulting from the state of the economy as well as the issues
about educational accountability. Mr. Dale stressed the desire of
transition team to ensure that the transition is a "transparent"
process.

The website devoted to transition issues can be found at
http://www.change. gov. There are many opportunities to comment on
issues on that forum.

Bring the Urgent Issues of the Wait List for Adult Services

to the Attention of the Obama-Biden Transition Team

In 2006, there were over 280,000 individuals with disabilities on
waiting lists for community living services also know as Medicaid
Home and Community Based Services in 31 states. Other states do not
keep official waiting lists so the true number of individuals with
unmet needs is much higher and growing with the aging of the U.S.
population. There is no entitlement to adult services as in
education through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) so many individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities
leave school with no job opportunities or supports to live in the
community independently.

A group of parents have been conducting a national campaign to end
the waiting list. They are asking people to vote for Medicaid
waivers for individuals with disabilities as a top health care
issue. You can read about this group at http://www.noewait. net.

It is very important to shed light on the critical problem to the
new Administration. We encourage members to vote on this health
care initiative and if you have a personal story about an individual
you know who is on the waiting list, please follow the directions
received given below by the noewait organization.

1. VOTE on the issue at the Obama Transition team site.

http://www.change. org/ideas/ view/fully_ fund_medicaid_ waivers_for_ the_
developmentally_ disabled

We need over 900 votes to get to the top of the Health Care list of
ideas.

2. Send a message to every listserv you are on and ask others
to vote. Then, if you have a web site or blog, create a widget to
put on your site or blog to get others to vote. Put it on your
Myspace or Facebook page.

3. go to:
http://change. gov/agenda/ disabilities_ agenda/

PLEASE HELP GET THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF THE OBAMA TRANSITION
TEAM.

In addition, please notify susan@ndsccenter. org when you have voted
on this crucial issue.

Help Spread the News!