1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

As the congress works to finally putting together a budget to fund the government, there is a need for careful consideration of the impact that some thoughtless, knee-jerk cost savings proposals will have on our communities. Many proposals now being considered impact the structure and funding of the department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among these is a proposal to move administration of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) to a new “Office of Strategy” and potentially defund these critical programs. There are 68 UCEDDs-at least one in every US state and territory-that are in a unique position to facilitate the flow of disability-related information between community and university. Centers work with people with disabilities, members of their families, state and local government agencies, and community providers in projects that provide training, technical assistance, service, research, and information sharing, with a focus on building the capacity of communities to sustain all their residents. The money spent on these programs generates economic activity and community participation and is paid back through increased tax revenue from increased participation in the community. The UCEDDs have played key roles in every major disability initiative over the past four decades. They are the knowledge engine of the most Developmental Disabilities network across the country. Without UCEDDs, people with disabilities, members of their families, state and local government agencies, and community providers will lose a vital connection to a program that produces impactful research, services, and training. Data: UCEDDs trained over 620,000 people last year – that’s an average of 9,253 per UCEDD award and over 10,000 per state. They provided specialized, much needed services to millions of people helping them live well with their disability – last year alone served well over 1.3 million individuals – that is nearly 20,000 people per Center. I am calling on everyone in government to protect these vital programs and oppose reductions in funding levels or unnecessarily disruptive reorganization of their administrative structure. These programs have served our country since created by President Kennedy and it would be a shame to see his nephew oversee the demise of these important and impactful programs through a misguided belief that they work against the health of the community.