Wiessner A former salon manager and the mother of a Home of Guiding Hands Community Living program client, she lives in El Cajon.
I’m not just a concerned citizen. I’m a scared parent. I fear for what will happen when the world does not see the value in supporting the community of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including my daughter, Taylor. I am Taylor’s mother, and I am writing to draw attention to a vital issue: the fear that accompanies Governor Gavin Newsom’s potential budget cuts to this community.
The intellectual and developmental disability community is not just a matter of inconvenience. It is a lifelong story of silent struggle and the pain of exclusion. My daughter Taylor faces the world as an adult with a disability, facing her own limitations and heartache with the direct support and guidance of organizations like the Home of Guiding Hands and their caring staff. But in the shadow of a lack of funding, that hope is fading.
Inclusion is not a luxury, it’s a lifeline. It’s a bridge that connects Taylor to the world around her. For over 10 years, Taylor has been part of the Home of Guiding Hands’ community living program. The program has always provided Taylor with practical tools to improve her daily life, such as shopping, paying bills, taking public transportation and cooking. Similarly, Taylor and others like her struggle to understand how to access basic medical services. Without the help she received from the Home of Guiding Hands, Taylor’s health would have deteriorated even further, along with her quality of life.
Additionally, the Home of Guiding Hands has provided various avenues for Taylor to meet and interact with her peers. They nurture people in the community with intellectual and developmental disabilities through emotional and practical support.
Home of Guiding Hands was a beacon of hope for families like mine, providing a sense of normalcy in a world where the needs of those who can’t always speak up for themselves are often overlooked.
If an organization like the Home of Guiding Hands were to become ever more downsized and less and less available, we would fill the void as best we could, but we I’m not an expert or one of her friends. We are just loving parents trying our best in a situation that feels increasingly hopeless.
“Lack of support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is a complex issue that can exacerbate the challenges this vulnerable population faces. Furthermore, we suspect that societal expenditures related to emergency medical care, police involvement, and other crisis response services often exceed the costs of providing preventative and supportive services. Ultimately, underfunding support services for intellectual and developmental disabilities can lead to increased long-term costs.”
But, of course, there are also personal losses due to financial neglect. Every time funding is cut, it feels like Taylor’s lifeline is cut off. It’s not just the budget numbers that are important. Every time a program is downsized or a staff member is lost, his daughter’s world, and the world of many others, shrinks. Mentoring to help her cope with her daily life, activities to help her grow, companions to tell her she’s not alone – without funding, these are out of reach.
For myself, I am scared – I am scared that funding cuts will strip my daughter of the support she relies on and leave her in an even more difficult world.
We need to change the way we view people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – not with pity or charity, but with recognition that diversity of abilities is a natural and valuable part of the human experience.
Let us not wait for other families to feel despair and fear as they watch their loved ones struggle needlessly. Let us act now to strengthen the support systems for intellectual and developmental disabilities that not only help individuals like Taylor, but enrich our entire society. It is time for us to step up and be beacons of the way to a more inclusive and compassionate world. If you share my concerns, please take action. Contact your local legislators today and oppose Governor Newsom’s proposed $1 billion budget cuts to the intellectual and developmental disability community.
