Last weekend, I attended the graduation party of the
daughter of one of our employees. It was a beautiful, windy Kansas day, and a
crowd of family and friends gathered under a white tent to congratulate Corinne
on her accomplishments.
It was doubly exciting in that Corinne is on the Spectrum,
and has faced the challenges of Autism with determination and spirit all her
life. Her artwork inspires, and her passion for Teen Titans comic books speaks
to her vivid imagination and love of stories. She has been hired as a teaching
assistant for the summer, and she just received two scholarships for attending
a local university. TWO!
But it also brings to mind the world that these kids go into
once they graduate from high school. It’s a world of uncertainty. It’s a cliff,
where support suddenly and significantly drops off.
Unemployment is high among those with developmental
disabilities, and government support is under significant pressure – pressure
that usually affects the disability community first when money is on the line.
In Kansas, state support has been drastically cut, and the Governor’s new plan
is to cut funding further in areas that directly affect people with
disabilities: K-12 education, public transportation, social services… The list
goes on. On top of that, the Kansas legislature
failed to pass health insurance legislation to cover the expenses of Autism
care.
Yes, fiscal responsibility is absolutely important, but ask
first who and what is being affected. Are we talking about a $400 hammer or a
person with needs?
Now, more than ever, it’s important that people in the
Autism community speak out. Let your elected officials know that care for
people with disabilities is important; that it means something more than a line
item in a budget; that life for these kids doesn’t end at high school; that it
affects someone’s life and the lives of their loved ones.
Because eventually, your child will grow up. What kind of a
world will they be going into?
I hope that Corinne is going into a world that’s as vivid
and wonderful as the comic books she enjoys.
