A statewide nonprofit that provides training and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is marking one year since the state cut all its funding.
On July 1st, it will be one year since the state cut the $125,000 previously allocated to The Arc of Kentucky. The group is not getting any federal funding either.
So programs to offer advocacyand training for individuals with disabilities like Down Syndrome, Autism or fetal alcohol syndrome are on shaky financial ground.
Sherri Brothers has been working as the full-time volunteer executive director of The Arc for the past year.
“Well, we have been just having fundraiser after fundraiser to keep our events and programs running. And then we have been trying to create new avenues.”
One of those new efforts is training more advocates for people with disabilities.
Those advocates will soon be meeting with current state legislators and those who are candidates for office. In addition encouraging them to pass laws that support people with disabilities, they’ll be asking them to put funding for The Arc back in the next state budget.
