USA TODAY
For that to happen, Beckwith, 54, who has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a wheelchair, relies on an aide paid by the state to get him in and out of bed, bathe him, feed him, dress him and do everything he can’t do for himself.
Now that kind of help is in jeopardy. California, facing a $19.1 billion budget gap, is considering a reduction in funding that pays for home care aides for the disabled. It already cut funds last year.
Beckwith worries that under the new, tighter rules, he might no longer qualify for his aide and other assistance and that he’ll end up in a nursing home.
“I’d rather be dead,” he says. “Twenty years after the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed, things are getting worse for us. States want to save money by cutting services to the most vulnerable people. That’s us, the disabled.”
FULL STORY: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-08-06-ada06_ST_N.htm
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