We are heartened to hear that Governor DeSantis has put into the budget another $2.2 million for APD to serve the IDD community. It could mean thousands of people could get off the Pre-Enrollment list and receive funds from the iBudget Waiver. However, it is a critical time for our voices to be heard in how that money is used.
In 2023, it was reported by the Orlando Sentinel that $800 million allocated to APD from the state budget was not spent on the 23,000 people on the Pre-Enrollment List (waitlist), and as a result, another $496 million of federal matching funds went unspent. According to the Florida Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC), $146 million of unspent funds were returned to the state coffers. Read the entire article.
To date, we cannot get clear answers on why that money was not used to move individuals waiting years on the Pre-enrollment List to the Waiver where badly needed services can be delivered. It is important for families to provide input on how the additional $2.2 million in funds will be used.
We urge you to use the DD Waitlist managed by the University of South Florida to contact your elected Florida officials to give detailed personal stories of the difficulties you have faced so to move our legislators and agencies toward solutions.
Click on the link to find your elected officials and send an email.
Disability Facts:
- Seven million children and one-in-four adults in the U.S. live with a disability.
- The majority of people have a loved one with a disability.
- According to Nielsen Research, “consumers with disabilities including their families, friends, and associates, represent a $1 trillion market segment. Americans with disabilities represent the third-largest market behind Baby Boomers and the mature market
