May 23, 2017 (Raleigh, NC) –The Arc has released a video series which highlights how the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA), including Medicaid funding cuts, will negatively impact people with disabilities’ capacity to live independently.

The video series features Bryan Dooley, self-advocate and member of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities from Lewisville, North Carolina.  Dooley has relied on modest Medicaid benefits since birth for assistance with a variety of medical and other needs, including a personal attendant.

With Medicaid’s support, Dooley graduated from college and maintains both paid and volunteer work. Because of Medicaid, Dooley and his personal attendant are both working people contributing to their community.

Recently, the US House of Representatives passed the AHCA, which included over $800 billion in cuts over 10 years to federal funding for Medicaid programs. The AHCA would not only force states to cut eligibility for state Medicaid programs, but also diminish the quality and quantity of services that are provided to current enrollees.   

For many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), Medicaid is generally the only source of funds for them to live and work in the community with friends and families.

“If I could say one thing to the President and the Congress, it would be my community has worked much too hard to move away from institutions. I will not let us go backwards; it is bad for me and bad for my country,” says Dooley in the video.

“Bryan’s lived experience and community-based contributions have greatly informed the work of NCCDD and its efforts to improve the lives of individuals with I/DD in North Carolina.  Medicaid waivers, often the only provider of long term services and supports for individuals with I/DD, create the scaffolding of support Bryan needed to build success. Thousands of North Carolinians just like Bryan are waiting for similar Medicaid supports,” said Chris Egan, executive director of NCCDD. “The AHCA will likely add to those waiting for modest services and supports necessary for  people with disabilities to live in inclusive and integrated communities.”

Dooley’s video is the fourth in a series being released by The Arc. The videos tell personal stories of people with disabilities and their families, and the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid on their lives.

For the entire video series, click here: https://www.youtube.com/user/thearcoftheus

About the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities:
The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) works to assure that people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families participate in the design of and have access to needed community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity and inclusion in all areas of community life. Through its Five Year Plan, the Council identifies and funds innovative projects and initiatives that promote the goals of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) for all North Carolinians.

About the The Arc: The Arc advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of over 650 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with I/DD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.

Editor’s Note: The Arc is not an acronym; always refer to us as The Arc, not The ARC and never ARC. The Arc should be considered as a title or a phrase