1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

i’m writing out of concern for people such as myself, who have permanent disabilities that affect daily living but often fall through the cracks in the system. agencies such as medicaid believe someone like me — who can work and be apart of their community but has a disability such as cerebral palsy that affects the ability to walk, balance, and maintain stamina without some kind of support — isn’t disabled enough to qualify for services such as the the ones provided by home based care waiver. having access to healthcare, help transitioning to living independently, and having help to find housing that could be modified to fit my needs for safety and comfort would allow for huge changes to my quality of life. it’s terrifying to think that the next trump administration may make the eligibility for someone like me even stricter or nonexistent, even in a state like new york. i believe i deserve the same opportunity and enrichment as any other new yorker, regardless of my lifelong disability or any arbitrary standard set by the federal government.